CARSTAIRS - Performers and guests enjoyed excellent spring time weather for the third annual Carstairs Heritage Festival and Parade of Kilts on Sunday.
This year’s event included the ever-popular parade through downtown Carstairs, with nine pipe and drum bands performing, up from five in 2022.
Those bands were Calgary Police Service Pipe Band, Alberta Fire Fighters Pipe Band, Cochrane Pipe Band. Airdrie Scots Pipes & Drums, Red Deer & District Pipe Band, Foothills Caledonia Youth Pipe Ban, Slainte Social Club, Innisfail Legion Pipe Band, and Pipe & Drums of Edmonton Transit.
Other events included the well-attended Highland dance competition in the curling rink, the Parade of Kilts in Memorial Park, the pipe bands concert, heavy athletics competition, and the tug o’ war competition.
Other activities included kid zone games and crafts, museum tour and art show, circus workshop, petting zoo, and face painting.
Things wrapped up with the massed bands festival finale, also in Memorial Park.
More than 40 volunteers helped make this year’s festival a success.
Many local organizations and businesses contributed to the success of the day-long community extravaganza.
Editor's note: This article has been updated to correct the day the event was held on.