Celtic Festival Highland Games

The Highland Games are a popular highlight of St. Augustine's Celtic Festival at Francis Field on Saturday and Sunday, March 14 and 15, 2026. Participants show off their strength and skill, and spectators enjoy watching them compete in some fairly unusual events.

Originating in the Scottish Highlands during the 11th century, Highland Games are a Celtic festival favorite. Impressive kilted athletes challenge one another in traditional Scottish heavy athletics and strength competitions, including the weight throw, Scottish hammer throw, stone put, and the always entertaining caber toss, which involves tossing a long, tapered pine log or pole end-over-end.

The Scottish Highland games are traced back to King of Scots Malcolm III, who summoned contestants to a footrace to find the fastest runner in the land to serve as royal messenger. Over the centuries, Highland games events have expanded to include piping, drumming, dancing competitions, musical entertainment, and exhibits celebrating Scottish and Gaelic culture. Each year, thousands of fans from Florida and Georgia attend the St. Augustine Celtic Festival Highland Games.

Highland Games Information and Registration

The Highland Games will be held on Saturday and Sunday, March 14 and 15, 2026, beginning at 10:00 a.m. Registration is $35.00 per athlete and includes festival general admission and lunch each day you participate. All participating athletes are invited to march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade on Saturday. Early registrants will also receive a free festival t-shirt. To register, visit here. Registration opens in November and closes before the week of the festival.

On Friday, March 13, contestants may participate in a free clinic from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. This is an introduction and training for anyone interested in competing in the games and is not limited to novice athletes.

The competition begins immediately following the St. Patrick's Day Parade on Saturday. 

The Foundation for Scottish Athletics directs the Highland Games at St. Augustine.

The following information is from 2025. We will update it for 2026 when we have new information.

Competitive Events:

• Open Stone Put (16 lb. thrown for distance, any style)
• Braemer Stone Throw
• 56 lb. Weight for Distance
• 28 lb. Weight for Distance
• Caber Toss (The cabers are sized by class.)
• Sheaf Toss (16 lb. burlap bag tossed with a pitchfork for height.)
• 56 lb. Weight for Height

Classes of Competition Each Day

Saturday, March 8

• Men's Class A
• Men's Class B
• Masters Men Aged 40 - 49
• Women's Open

Sunday, March 9

• Masters Men Aged 50-59
• Masters Women Aged 40 plus
• Senior Masters Men Aged 60 plus
• Novice Men

Each day's competition at the Highland Games is new and has no bearing on the results for the next day. The judges present awards at the close of that day's competition. 

Admission: $35.00 per person to participate in the Highland Games. Spectators can view the games with a ticket to the Celtic Festival.

When: Friday clinic from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Friday, March 13. Games all day on both Saturday and Sunday, March 14 and 15, 2026.

Where: Francis Field is located west of the parking garage, at 25 West Castillo Drive in St. Augustine.

For more information about the Celtic Music and Heritage Festival, go here.

Parking and Shuttle Services

Parking is available at the downtown parking garage right next to Francis Field.

The City of St. Augustine offers free park-and-ride shuttles for downtown events every Saturday during Festival Season.

All shuttles will drop people off and pick them up at the Visitor Information Center at 10 S. Castillo Drive.

Free parking will be available at 198 & 212 West King Street, at the intersection of U.S. 1 and King Street - known as "Broudy's Lot."

On Saturday, March 8, the park-and-ride shuttles operate from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. to help people get to the parade and festival.