Welcome!

The St Andrew Society of Colorado has announced the move of their annual Colorado Scottish Festival back to the Denver Metro area in the City of Edgewater. The festival was held in Highlands Ranch for many years, until that venue became unsuitable and it moved to Snowmass. That town provided a friendly and beautiful setting, but some attendees disliked the distance from the major population areas and the cost of a mountain resort. It appears the Society listened to their concerns.

Everybody wants to be a Reiver when the Thom(p)sons are around.

Chieftain, Timm Herrod says, “We want to make everyone who attends feel like they have stepped into Scotland for a day. Expect all the classic elements of a world class Scottish Festival and Highland Games: the crowd-pleasing Scottish heavy athletics caber tossing (the ‘telephone pole’ event), the swirling kilts and leaps of Scottish Highland dancers, Scottish country dancing, the stirring spectacle and haunting tunes of pipe bands from around the state, whisky tastings, Clan Village, Colorado’s own Renaissance Scots, living history, Scottish food, British Dogs, British Cars, Parade of Clans and so much more!”

The St. Andrew Society states, “Our mission of sharing traditional Scottish culture and innovative Highland Games remains our passion. We couldn’t be prouder to continue our popular and unique event with our Edgewater neighbors.” There was another event in Edgewater, but it was canceled last year to to organizational difficulties.

For more information, or if you are interested in getting involved as a sponsor or volunteer, please visit www.scottishgames.org , follow on Facebook at ColoradoScottishFestival and Twitter at@ColoradoNessie.

Parker Thomson shows off his Clan tattoo at the Edgewater Colorado festival.

Hello Clan Thompson Colorado! And especially our new friends from recent festivals! We have been very gratified by the successful conclusion of another festival season in Colorado, with the recent gatherings in Estes Park and Edgewater. We begin our year in April with Colorado Tartan Day and finish up in September with the Longs Peak games, the biggest in this part of the country, and then wind down with Edgewater, one of the smallest, but most enjoyable.

Hi Everyone,

Let’s get together for some fun and lunch to celebrate our Border Scot ancestry! Let your members know right away…

     Who: All Border Scots and friends

     What: Lunch

     Where: Pints Pub (http://www.pintspub.com/)

          221 West 13th Avenue

          Denver  80204

          (parking is across the street)

          (near the Denver Art Museum)

     When: Saturday, October 8th

          11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

     How: Each will pay for his/her own meal and beverage

Please have those attending e-mail me no later than Thursday, October 6th so I may let Pints Pub know how many will be attending, so they can set up.

Aye!

Clan Thompson pauses for a moment at the end of the parade through downtown Estes Park for a photo. There were more of us in the parade itself, but we couldn’t get them all together for the photo. Typical Thompsons, eh?

You’ve heard that old saying, “A good time was had by all.” It used to be common in small town newspapers, but it definitely applies to Clan Thompson’s participation in the 2016 Longs Peak Scottish Irish Highland Festival in Estes Park, Colorado.

You know that Clan Thompson got its Colorado start at these games in 2009 and that this was the 40th Anniversary of what has become the biggest Celtic gathering in the Rocky Mountain West. But did you know that we met dozens and dozens, and perhaps hundreds of Thompsons and those with Thompsons in their family history, establishing relationships that will far outshine our current efforts to re-establish the name to its former prominence in Scotland and beyond? We found it nearly impossible to speak with someone who had absolutely no Thompsons in their family history somewhere, and even when we did, we were able to make connections with them. Clan Thompson’s official genealogist Maggie Spiry Jones even signed up an Erickson with roots in Scandanavia, as a new member, and will help find family roots and history for a couple with no known Thompson connection (yet). Have you noticed yet that nearly everybody in the world is related to a Thom(p)son?

Parker Thomson of Fraser Colorado and his extended family featured prominently in the joyous gathering this year, as many times in the past. The family included not only Parker and Jeannette’s two daughters and a son, plus their spouses and children, but also his 84-year-old mother, aunts, uncles, parents, children, and even Dougal, who became the Clan mascot and marched with us at the head of the parade. (See him down front in the accompanying photo.)

This year’s festival was by far, one of the most successful in the history of Clan Thompson in Colorado. We are fast becoming one of the most popular and beloved clans in the Rocky Mountain West. So many attendees expressed their gratitude for the information on family and history, that this event will be long remembered by those who attended and those who did not. Clan Thompson is on the move, and we are proud to be a part of the momentum.

Join us for the last clan event of the year at the Celtic Harvest Festival in Edgewater Colorado September 17 and 18. We are seriously considering adding a few more events to our schedule, including an excellent gathering in Moab Utah, and a new festival, starting up in Cheyenne Wyoming. Encourage your friends and relatives to subscribe to our e-mails and read this blog, and we’ll see the greatest days of Clan Thompson yet!

Clan Thompson Colorado are looking forward to our big event of the year, the games in Estes Park. This is the 40th anniversary of these games, and it looks to be as brilliant as usual. Hard to top our AGM last year, but thanks to Parker Thomson, we’ll have a double size tent this year, and he’s bringing his mother!

We start off our Colorado festival season in April with Colorado Tartan Day, then move to Colorado Springs for the Pikes Peak Festival in June, Elizabeth Colorado in July, and the Colorado Scottish Festival in August. But our biggest event of the year is the Longs Peak Scottish-Irish Highland Festival

Clan Thompson gathers after the parade through downtown Estes Park

in Estes Park. It’s where Clan Thompson Colorado got our start, with a visit from Tom and Mary Thompson in 2008 to help “re-establish” Thom(p)son as a clan in our own right.

Estes kicks off with a Tattoo, a military tradition closing the day. But this one is augmented beyond mere bugle calls and lights out. It’s an experience you won’t want to miss. The festival also features Scottish athletics, Jousting, Highland Dance, Irish Dance, Strongman Compeition, Solo and Pipe Band Competitions, and Folk Music as a  portion of the festivities. This features thrilling demonstrations of light and heavy armor jousting. Also of note is the caber-throwing competition as a part of the Scottish Athletic competition. There are some great bands lined up for performances this year, including: Seamus Kennedy, Ed Miller, Albannach, Highland Way, Tannahill Weavers, Rogues, and Enter the Haggis.

This is a festival with something for everyone. We hope to see you there.

Clan Thompson Colorado was proud to meet many of those interested in family history at the games.

Your Colorado Thompsons were proud to be part of this gathering in beautiful Snowmass, a mountain tourist village and ski resort at more than 8,200 feet elevation. I must confess the altitude got to me, even though I live more than five thousand feet above sea level myself. I was very grateful for the help of some of the other clans in hauling our baggage back to the car at the end of the festival.

Snowmass is an interesting event. This festival was held for many years in Highlands Ranch, a south Denver suburb, but it just got too expensive and the organizers were considering cancellation. But then, they were put in contact with the authorities in Snowmass, who made some very generous offers and brought us to their community. Many of the clans from Denver and Colorado Springs think it’s too far to travel, but a number of us have made it anyway. This is the second year in Snowmass, and Clan Thompson has been there both years.

Last year, it was held in a park, but that was small and crowded, so they opted for a very original plan this year, we were right on the Village Mall, tucked in among the stores. We saw lots of tourists who were just visiting for the day and didn’t even know there was a festival. We also got visited by some Thompsons who were familiar with us from other games around the region. One retired fellow from Grand Junction was wearing his red Thompson shirt, which he said he’d bought from Parker last year in Estes Park.

The weather was good for the most part, except for Saturday afternoon, when the heavens opened and we thought we might drift away like Noah’s ark. True to the tradition of mountain thunderstorms though, it passed by and we were none the worse for wear.

All in all, a good experience, and we’re looking forward to the big even in Estes Park next month.

Bob Thompson, Maggie Jones, Michael Thompson, and Timothy Thompson represent the Clan at the Pikes Peak games.

Clan Thompson will once again be represented at the Pikes Peak Festival in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This festival is a revival of an older event that had fallen by the wayside, but has come back in a very powerful way. This year will be even better than in the past, with clans, food, drink, bagpipe bands, dancers, and of course, some of the best Celtic music you’ll find.

The headline band will be Albannach, always a crowd favorite, with high energy bagpipes and drums. Other groups include the Young Dubliners, Delilah’s Revenge, Skean Dubh (an excellent Colorado based band), the Paul McKenna band, and Big Paddy.

There will be competitions featuring individual pipes and bagpipe bands, sanctioned by the Western United States Pipe Band Association, along with Scottish dancers from Rocky Mountain Highland Dancers, and Irish dance, featuring the Celtic Steps school. Rocky Mountain Scottish Athletes will host the athletic competitions and there will be demonstrations by Idavellr Vikings and the Colorado Ren Scots, explaining the history of our culture and people. There will even be a Braveheart 5K run, featuring kilted runners.

That’s not all, but you get the idea. This is one of the best festivals in the Rocky Mountain region, and Clan Thompson will be there. Come by and visit our booth and enjoy the festivities!

Genealogist Maggie Jones and Colorado Commissioner Michael Thompson welcome attendees to the Thompson clan tent at Colorado Tartan Day 2014.

Our first official festival of 2015 will be Colorado Tartan Day, Saturday and Sunday – April 11 & 12, 2015 in Longmont, Colorado. Clan Thompson is on the schedule, and we plan to represent the Reivers to the best of our ability. This year, the festival expands to become a two day event, with even more enjoyment than before.

The festival will be held in Roosevelt Park at  700 Longs Peak Ave. Longmont, Colorado. Hours are 9 am to 5 pm Saturday and 9 am to 4 pm Sunday. Click here for Google map directions.

Admission is Free to the Public

Celebrate Celtic Hertiage with us, meet the Clans honoring our ancestors. View performances by:
• Colorado Youth Pipe Band & Dancers
• 79th Highlanders
• Historical Re-enactors
• Dance to Highland Rock and Roll with Angus Mohr and Celtic Legacy
• Support participating Vendors

Tartan Day commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320, which asserted Scotland’s sovereignty over English territorial claims, and which was an influence on the American Declaration of Independence.

Canada has been celebrating “National Tartan Day” since 1993, the United States since 1997. The idea and motivation for creating a similar American holiday was provided by the Scottish Coalition, a group of national Scottish-American cultural organizations.

Thompsons hosted many friends in celebration of the great Scottish poet.

We always enjoy starting off the year with a Burns supper. It’s a Scottish tradition honoring the great poet who so loved the common man and the uncommon woman. This was our 15th year in the same location, even though it has changed ownership and cuisine.

In October 2000, The Cheshire Cat Brewpub brought the traditions of Britain to our home town of Arvada Colorado and the first Burns Supper was celebrated there the following January. When the British pub was sold to a Nepalese owner, the menu was changed to Indian, Nepalese and Tibetan food, but he wanted to keep the pub atmosphere and has allowed us our Scottish celebration uninterrupted ever since.

A Burns supper features piping, haggis, whisky, poetry, music and more. The tradition started when the poet’s friends gathered in their local pub on his birthday to remember their departed comrade. It has grown into a celebration that often features grand speeches, long-winded recitations, and formal dining, but our local version retains the informal camaraderie of those early gatherings.

Thompsons, of course, were well represented. Our Colorado Commission was the master of ceremonies, our piper brought in the haggis with the proper fanfare, and more than half the attendees were Thompsons, some of whom traveled from quite a distance.

Though we start off our year with Burns, our first official even will be Colorado Tartan Day in April. Keep an eye on your e-mail for more details as that approaches.

The Reivers Ride Again!