Highland Games
2026 HIGHLAND GAMES & GATHERINGS ARE COMING BACK!
April 18-19, 2026 at The Kern County Fairgrounds
Event Information and Ticket Pricing coming soon.
Great food, music and merchandise help make this event a fun experience!
We want YOU to come aboard! Download the contract and reservation form, fill it the information and send it with your payment to
The Kern County Scottish Society
P.O. Box 41202
Bakersfield, CA 93384-1202
Merchandise Vendor Reservation Form
Merchandise Vendor Contract Form
Food Vendor Reservation Form
Food Vendor Contract Form
If you would like to participate as a Clan Convener at our 2026 Scottish Highland Games & Gatherings, download & fill out the form and send it in with your payment to:
The Kern County Scottish Society
P.O. Box 41202
Bakersfield, CA 93384-1202
Clan Tent Reservation Form
Piping & Drumming Event Information & Reservations for our 2026 Scottish Highland Games & Gatherings, download & fill out the form and send it in with your payment to:
The Kern County Scottish Society
P.O. Box 41202
Bakersfield, CA 93384-1202
Piping & Drum Reservation Form
TOSSING THE CABER
The caber toss has come to almost symbolise the Highland games and no gathering anywhere in the world would be complete without it.
In the caber toss, a full length log, usually made of Scots pine, is stood upright and lifted by the competitor using both hands under the bottom of the caber to rest against their body. The competitor then runs forward, building momentum, before tossing the caber into the air so that it turns end over end with the upper end landing before the end originally held by the competitor follows through and hits the ground.
The aim is for the caber to land in line with the original run. If it is straight the toss is said to be in the 12 o'clock position. Competitors are judged on how closely their toss lands to 12 o'clock.
HAMMER THROW
The hammer throwing event features a hammer made from a metal ball weighing around 22 lb for men or 16 lb for women, attached to a wooden pole or handle.
Participants use the handle to whirl the hammer around their head and then throw it as far as they can.
SHOT PUT
The shot put is a favourite at all good Highland Games. Competitors throw a large stone of around 20 - 26lbs in weight as far as they can. The stone is thrown either after a short run-up to the toeboard or from a fixed standing position, depending on the rules of the competition. The contestant who throws the furthest wins.
WEIGHT FOR HEIGHT
Sometimes referred to as 'weight over the bar', this game requires competitors to throw a weight over a raised bar. The object thrown is a 25.4kg (56lb) weight with a handle at the end of a short bar which must be thrown using just one hand. With each successful attempt, the bar is raised higher and higher, eliminating the contestants one by one. American Dan Williams broke the record in 2014 with a throw of 6.17m (20ft 3in).
TUG O'WAR
The tug o'war is one of the most fiercely contested competitions at the Highland Games. This involves eight men pulling against another team of eight, coached by an additional member of the team who shouts encouragement and instructions to spur them on to pull their opposite number across the line. Well worth a watch at any Highland Games.
Thank you to "Visit Scotland" for this information. Please click here to visit their site