For nearly five decades, every September, Estes Park experiences a transformation from a small Western mountain village into a Celtic cultural center with the sound of bagpipes echoing against the mountainous backdrop. This year will be no different.
That’s because the Longs Peak Scottish-Irish Highland Festival once again returns this weekend, September 5 to 7, with three days of music, dance, and athletic competitions.
In the middle of final preparations for the 49th festival, President and CEO Peggy Sue Durward Young paused to take a phone call. “I’m good, just taking a little break,” she said with a laugh. “We’re in the process of moving stuff over to get ready for the event next week. The festival is a massive undertaking, but it is something I look forward to and enjoy doing year after year.”
For Young, the bustle of setting up is more than routine — it’s a responsibility she inherited from her father, festival founder Dr. James Durward. After more than a decade working by his side, she assumed leadership in 2020 and has continued to guide the festival following his passing in 2023.
“Dad and I worked really, really closely together for more than 12 years,” Young said. “For 15 years, I was in the office, and so he taught me all the ropes and how to be a good steward to partners and how to get your scheduling done. He was a very good teacher, and I miss him dearly. This is always a really hard time of the year for me, because everything about the festival reminds me of him.”
Even as she reflects on his absence, Young is focused on delivering an event that honors tradition while embracing new experiences. The festival draws up to 70,000 visitors annually, many of whom book their hotel rooms for the following year as soon as the weekend ends.
“The setting itself is just a wonderful place to be and keeps people coming back; you can’t ask for a more beautiful place to have a festival,” Young said. “People’s passion for the event has encouraged us to grow, try new things, bring new events in, and keep it fresh.”
With Longs Peak towering in the background, the field becomes a temporary village of music tents, clan gatherings, and athletic contests. One tradition missing this year, though, is the downtown parade.
“It’s all due to budget,” Young said. “If I could get a donor, I would have the parade back in a heartbeat. But the cost fell on the festival, so we’re just going to take a breath this year, and hopefully, for our 50th anniversary, we will have it back downtown.”
Despite that absence, the festival remains packed with programming, from clan gatherings to youth education. Young encourages first-time attendees to come prepared.
“Bring walking shoes,” she advised. “I would go to the music tent and the clan tent first, just to get my bearings and directions, and from there, it’s pretty open, and you can self-tour. We have plenty of maps around that are pretty good to see where you’re at, and I would recommend always having layered clothing and a hat.”
Among the highlights of the weekend is the Estes Park International Tattoo, staged Friday and Saturday evenings at 7 p.m. The word “tattoo” originates from the Dutch phrase “doe den tap toe,” or “turn off the taps,” which innkeepers would call out when soldiers were ordered back to their quarters. Over time, the term came to describe ceremonial performances of military music, and in Estes Park, it has become one of the festival’s signature events.
This year’s tattoo will bring together more than 200 performers from across the globe, including pipers from the United Kingdom and the United States, the U.S. Air Force drill team, and dancers from both sides of the Atlantic. The show will also feature a special recognition for Vietnam veterans on the 50th anniversary of the war’s end.
“We have asked all the Vietnam vets to come and be a part of the tattoo,” Young said. “And it’s just not for Vietnam vets. We recognize all vets and all active-duty military. If they want to come, we will recognize them on the arena floor for their service.”
While the tattoo is rooted in ceremony, new attractions will add excitement to this year’s schedule. Making its debut is the Black Moon Free Company, a troupe of combat reenactors known for sword and axe battles staged inside a 20-foot ring.
“They are combat warriors, so they dress up and fight with swords and axes and that kind of stuff,” Young said. “It’s going to be fun, and I’m excited to see what it’s all about myself.” Their daily 11 a.m. shows will be followed by jousting matches at 2 p.m. from the Knights of the Tempest, who have become a favorite with festival crowds.
Beyond the competitions and performances, Young takes particular pride in the festival’s educational offerings. On Friday morning, local elementary students will get the chance to experience Celtic traditions up close.
“They get to go to different parts, like clans and athletes and dancing,” she said. “First stop is the drill team, and they will learn about the armed forces and what they do. I think it’s just a really great program that gives back to the community, and it only takes one seed — maybe these kids will become the festival’s next entertainer, piper, or drummer.”
Even with the logistical challenges of parking and crowd flow, Young insists on maintaining comforts for guests, from shaded tents to plentiful seating. To her, those details matter just as much as the spectacle of massed bagpipes or athletic feats.
“It’s just a huge passion of mine,” she said. “My kids are involved with it, and cousins and nephews and nieces. Sometimes I don’t see those people except once a year, this time of year, so it’s always a really special event.”
Young plans to commemorate the 50th anniversary next year with special touches such as a scotch tasting or an evening dinner. “But I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel,” she said. “I just want to focus on our roots for our 50th.”
For Young, what matters most is not the logistics or even the scale of the festival, but the sense of connection it creates year after year.
“Dad has a passion for it, and I just took it, and hopefully I’m running with it well for him,” Young said. “I just love the event. It brings joy to my heart. It’s a big family reunion every year where I see people that I don’t see every day, and we just immediately pick up conversations from a year ago. There really is nothing else like it.”
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