My friends and I had a great time coming to the 20th Seaside Highland Games festival in Ventura, CA. I was eager to come this year after learning about them over the summer when they had a booth at the 4th of July festival. Having been to Scotland, I was excited to see how California represented the culture and heritage of the Scottish and other European countries. It's a two day event but you can opt for single day tickets or both. My main reason for docking a star is it is a little pricey for what it is. $25 for one day tickets, $15 for parking, and then naturally any food or drinks will have you easily at $$ for a festival that we only stayed at for about 3 hours. I definitely wanted to support local so I was happy to get the tickets but given this is a smaller scale festival (in my opinion) it just seemed a little pricey. Not too bad though. Just like anything though, it adds up. I will say the festival was well spread out and not crowded. That was definitely nice and it was a perfect day being held in October, about 71 degrees, sun was out but not too hot. They had food vendors that were fun and traditional. Outside they had fish and chips, meat pies, and some classic American food to name a few. Inside they had some traditional fair like Scottish eggs and welsh cakes with clotted cream. We tried both. The Scottish eggs were mid, wouldn't get again since they can't deep fry them and instead microwave them. BUT the welsh cakes and clotted cream were a stand out. Delicious 10/10. Wish I had bought some to bring home. The highlight of this festival definitely is the Highland Games with the different sports and competitions going on in the back. My friends and I grabbed some cold beers and watched for a good hour the men and women competing. It was very fun, interactive, and entertaining. I would definitely come back again just to see this. Also plenty of men in kilts so it was a win win. Appreciated that there were a few beer stalls and beers on tap. We savored our Guinnesses and Harp Lager before heading out for the day. This festival is fun and if you have European ancestry or heritage related to like Ireland, Norway, Scotland, wales etc. then this is definitely a wonderful weekend event for you. I only hope it continues to grow and I would definitely come back. Very wholesome yet fun. read more

This is a great festival it's not too spread out and has loads of clans and great vendors and entertainment read more

Seaside Highland Games - This Years posters - Festivals Near Me - Ventura, California

This was a decent event, but you have to check out the booth from the celtic caterer! INSANE!!!! DRAGONS, DND dice, hats, mugs, cookbooks.... so much stuff. I lapped it several times, and each time, there was something cool that i didn't see before. Now this was before, BEFORE, his food demos! There were 4... soup, side, main 6 dessert! Oh, hell to the yes!!! The Celtic Caterer made this great! Thank you! read more

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Full disclosure: I recently joined the Scottish Fiddlers of Los Angeles (cellist; everyone needs a bass line) along with my friend, and we played onstage inside one of the buildings. It was my first time at the Games, and in fact I had never heard of the event before which is a shame as it was so fun! We were carrying large cello cases etc so we did not get around as much as we would have liked, nor did we stay as long as we otherwise might have, but still it was fun. There are vendors where you can find nice Scottish woolens like scarves, kilts of course and all manner of kilt acoutrements; jewelry, and what looked great to me was the food court with scones and strawberries and cream, fish & chips, and more that I didn't check out. My favorite thing was the "parade" of bagpipe bands. Wow!! That was impressive. There is plenty of beer, and the games themselves, billed as something like "burly guys throwing large objects." I can't wait to go back next year better prepared to see more things. The Ventura County Fairgrounds are right next to the Amtrak station, and if you live in the San Fernando Valley, it is a short drive for you. Multiple music stages, some outdoors. What a fun and different weekend! I highly recommend! read more

Seaside Highland Games - An example of the music on one indoor stage. More music outside. It's all good! - Festivals Near Me - Ventura, California

My husband and I have been going here every year for YEARS... and it is one of our favourite Scottish Festivals and Highland Games to attend in the area. Being held in October, the weather is always nice, there's a great breeze off the ocean, and they are very well organized here. Great entertainment in several locations of the festival grounds, Highland Game competition (as someone said, big men throwing things! *l*), sheep herding demonstrations, competitive highland dancing, scottish country dancing, award-winning pipe bands and competitions, drum major competitions, two buildings full of vendors of assorted things, a children's section, and a great variety of food including scot/english fare. The lines do get long for the isle food, but these guys have the system down pretty well and the lines MOVE... unlike other scot fests we've been to. It's a great way to spend a day (or two) soaking in some Scottish culture and we always look forward to it! read more

Fun event but the admission prices were really high for 2019! Considering how much you need to pay to get food or get anything, the price of admission and the parking is getting high to justify going again. read more

Scottish fun in the California sun! Food,drinks,music,vendors and large men throwing heavy stuff! read more

Seaside Highland Games - Festivals Near Me - Ventura, California

I know of this event being an ye olde Highland festival & games veteran. I was in a pipe band, did the heavy sports, and enjoy Scot and Irish music. I've been to the Los Angeles, Orange, San Deigo county games. Also the northern Californian games in Santa Rosa. Also been to a few out of state Scottish games like Phoenix AZ (TOO HOT !). Ventura is the best for it's comfortable Fall breezy weather when you're wearing all wool and a suit & tie, typical highland formal dress during competition. Also for it's un-crowded family atmosphere and friendly organizers. if your lucky, these games is often a home of debuting new scotch whiskey companies, which allow free tastings for those over 21 yrs old. I would rank them as in the top #3 of California. read more

This was my second year attending this festival. Organizers - please do more advertising! I have encountered many, many people who have lived in the area for years and have never known there was a Scottish festival in town, even people with Scottish ancestry, people who love Celtic rock or kilts or plaid or bagpipers - they have no idea there is a Scottish festival right here in Ventura every year in early October. Last year was very warm but I was impressed by the vast array of vendors and number of pipe bands participating. This year the weather was more normal for Ventura but I was somewhat dismayed to see a vastly diminished number of participating pipe bands and vendors. There was still plenty to see and do but I feel that the festival was much diminished from the 2015 event. The festival needs to find a way to market via social media or other means to their audience - which is mixed, sure, part of their audience is an older group - generally Scottish Presbyterian retirees, but this festival would appeal very strongly to the same people who attend Renaissance Festivals, Civil War reenactments, science fiction conventions like WonderCon and Comic-Con, people who enjoyed the Highlander TV series and movies, the Outlander TV series, the Vikings TV series, people who like a Goth aesthetic, people who like Celtic, Norse, Faerie, Arthurian mythologies, people who enjoy Celtic folk and Celtic rock, hipster types who like fusion music and utility kilts, etc. There is a huge audience and I feel like only a tiny fraction of them even know that this festival exists. It should be advertised in all the highs school and colleges, all the local churches (esp. the obvious connected ones - mainstream Protestant denominations), on Facebook, Twitter, etc. There should be big posters at the comic book stores on Main Street in downtown Ventura, in the window of the British Import store and in the window of the Irish pub on Main Street. All the dance schools, including the Irish dance school in Ventura - should be advertising this event. There should be posters out at the Harbor - where tourists go. And the festival is tailor-made for children with a large children's area with many activities - advertise at KinderCares and places where moms go (the Mall, salons, etc.) I wish there had been more food vendors. I ate a tiny, overpriced shepherd's pie - it was tasty but very small - more of an hors d'oeuvre size almost. There did seem to be two or three vendors selling good-sized portions of fish and chips. I would have given a great deal for a turkey sandwich or a burger and more fair-type food - a bag of sugary mini-donuts or funnel cakes or hot chocolate chip cookies and milk. The only sweets I remember seeing were scones with strawberries. I'm allergic to strawberries. All that said, we had a pleasant day. We checked out the jewelry and door harps for sale, thought about the face painting and temporary tattoo options. I enjoyed watching the parade of pipe bands (despite the small number of participants this year). We spent a great deal of time watching the athletics - burly men and young, tattooed women with colorful hair tossing cabers and hammers, etc. We really enjoyed the Angry Brians - Celtic-rock band - I could have listened to them all day. We stopped and listened to some acoustic groups as well - always like the chance to hear Uilleann pipes, folk harps, hammered dulcimers, etc. Go on Saturday if you want to catch the Highland dancing or fiddle competitions or the pipe band competitions. Go on Sunday to see the athletics. Go either day for the Celtic rock music and the shopping (think kilts, weapons, lots of jewelry, sculptures, pins, Celtic humor items, fantasy-fairy items, etc. I think all men should have a utility kilt in their closet :-) read more

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It was our first time to attend Seaside Highland Games last October 2017. Our daughter is a piper at her high school and also a member of the Kern County Pipe Band. Both pipe bands came to compete at the Seaside Highland Games. We came on the first day of the event as expectators. She was not going to play until the next day, Sunday. Coming here on the first day allowed us to walk around and check out the different food booths, vendor booths and clan booths. The weather was perfect... not too hot, not too cold. It was nice to come to a nice cool place and cleaner air than what we have back home. There were a few good vendors serving Scottish food and more! It was great to try all the different food items each stall had to offer. We enjoyed the meat pies, haggis and scotch eggs. We also checked out the different bands and athletic games. There's plenty to see and do. We will definitely come back to this event. read more

I had more fun at the 2010 festival, and was expecting to have the same or better this year. Bummed at the level of the athletic competition on Sunday, perhaps the higher level athletes competed on Saturday? The lady selling me a Scottish Meat Pie tried to overcharge me, and the price of the pies were much higher than 2010, I suppose that is inflation. The $5 parking was fine, but I wish they offered some sort of discounts for admission, perhaps for students? I definitely enjoyed the Kirk service, and the bands playing outside. The family band performing inside was also great. I was bummed that the dog show was right next to the athletic competition, last time they had the athletes in the larger arena. I could hardly hear what the dog people were saying!! Also, not anyones fault, but none of my family names were represented in the booths. Also, there was no interesting class to sit in on while I was there on Sunday. I drove 2 hours to get here and was generally disappointed. I think it will be another couple years if I ever travel to this festival again. Oh, and all the non-celtic stuff for sale was frustrating, random jewelry and candy!! I know that there is a big history with this show, that lots of people come every year, perhaps I just lucked out in 2010!! read more

Lots of stuff to do and see right next to the beach at Ventura Fairgrounds. $25 for a 2-day pass was reasonable. Pipers, dancers, food, Haggis eating competition, lots of stuff to buy & browse. Scotch tasting fri night and Scotch was available all weekend. The band 1916 was AMAZING!!! Spent a lot of time oogling the kilted athletes. Plenty of kilted eye candy for men & women kept the event fun. read more

This is a fun event but unlike the previous reviewer, I found it to be rather expensive. My boyfriend and I went to the event and it was $40 for the two of us just to get in. They do have some really great bands and the athletes are great as well. But the best part of festivals are the vendors, beer, and food so I just thought it ended up being a little more expensive than what we had in mind. Great bands and athletes....don't think they really thought out letting people from the crowd try and throw some of the athletes objects as many times it was rather close to hitting people in the stands but hey...i guess that's part of the risk? just avoid the stands when the crowd is allowed to try things out. read more

What an amazing venue for a great time! Inexpensive for the whole family to spend by the beach, listen to amazing bands, and watch some amazing athletes. Oh and the food and beer! Best highland games I've been too by far! read more

Always a good time. Lots of things to eat and buy to get in touch with your Scottish roots.more activities for the wee ones would be appreciated though. Location is great. Bring your kilt! read more