QUICK FACTS: 2026 NH HIGHLAND GAMES & FESTIVAL
| Dates | Friday, September 18 through Sunday, September 20, 2026 |
| Location | Loon Mountain Resort, Lincoln, NH |
| Edition | 51st annual |
| Tickets | Single-day or 3-day weekend pass, available at nhscot.org/buy-tickets or at the gate |
| Kids | 14 and under free with a paying adult |
| Parking | Free shuttle buses from designated lots (daytime only, ending around 6pm) |
| Pets | Service animals only, no pets on the grounds |
| Distance from Bretton Woods | About 40 minutes via Route 3 and I-93 |
| Rain policy | Held rain or shine, no refunds |
WHAT THE NH HIGHLAND GAMES ACTUALLY IS
If you’ve never been, the NH Highland Games & Festival is exactly what it sounds like: three days of Scottish heritage, athletics, and culture, and it’s one of the largest and most diverse Highland Games events held in North America (NHSCOT, 2026). This is the 51st year the event has run, and it draws visitors from well beyond New Hampshire for a weekend that mixes serious competition with genuinely fun, family-friendly programming.
You’ll find heavy athletics events like the caber toss and the Caledonian Clash, competitive Highland dancing, sheep dog trials, massed pipe bands, and a Clan Village where you can dig into your own Scottish roots if you have them (or just wander through out of curiosity if you don’t). Add in a Vendor Village, Scottish food, whisky and beer tastings, and Try-It classes in things like stone lifting and street curling, and you’ve got a full weekend rather than a quick afternoon stop.
A LITTLE HISTORY
The event has been running for 51 years, organized by NHSCOT, a nonprofit built around preserving and celebrating Scottish heritage in New Hampshire. That kind of longevity is part of why the festival draws such a wide mix of people: multi-generational families with genuine Scottish ancestry tracing their clan history, curious first-timers who just want a fun weekend outdoors, and everyone in between. It’s grown into one of New England’s most attended fall events, and the third weekend in September has become something of a fixture on the region’s calendar.
2026 SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS
The full three-day schedule includes:
- Heavy athletics competitions, including the Caledonian Clash, run throughout the weekend
- Highland dance, fiddle, harp, piping, and drumming competitions, spread across all three days
- Sheep dog trials, always a crowd favorite for families with kids
- Massed pipe bands, marching into the parade square, usually one of the most photographed moments of the weekend
- Clan Village, for tracing family roots or just browsing the tartans
- Try-It classes, free with admission, covering street curling, stone lifting, and more
- Vendor Village, for Scottish goods, food, and crafts
- Youth Program, running Friday through Sunday with crafts, games, and storytelling for kids
Beyond the daytime admission, NHSCOT also runs a handful of separate, ticketed add-on experiences this year, including whisky tastings (roughly $32 to $40, 21+, gate ticket required) and other culinary and evening events. These sell out ahead of the Games most years, so if one catches your eye, don’t wait until you arrive to try to buy in.
TICKETS: WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU BUY
Here’s how the ticket types break down and when to lock yours in.
Ticket Types Compared
| Ticket type | What it covers | When to buy |
| Single-day admission | One day’s access to the full daytime program: athletics, dance, music, Clan Village, Vendor Village | In advance online or at the gate that day |
| 3-day weekend pass | All three days of daytime programming | In advance online, or at the gate on Friday only |
| Evening events (concerts, dinners, dances) | Separate ticketed evening programming, not included in daytime admission | In advance, since these sell out early |
| Special ticketed experiences (whisky tastings, culinary events) | Add-on 21+ experiences, roughly 32-40 each | In advance, gate ticket also required |
Admission comes in two forms: a single-day ticket, or a three-day weekend pass. Both are available in advance online through NHSCOT or at the gate each day, though the three-day pass can only be bought in advance or at the gate on Friday specifically, not picked up partway through the weekend.
Daytime admission covers a lot: the main concert tent, heavy athletics venues, sheep dog trials, Highland dance and piping competitions, the Clan Village, Vendor Village, demonstrations, the youth program, and the living history area. Evening concerts, dinners, and dances are ticketed separately from daytime admission, and those evening tickets tend to sell out before the Games even start.
A few logistics worth knowing:
- Kids 14 and under get in free with a paying adult.
- Loon Mountain Resort is only open to festival ticket holders during the event weekend. This isn’t a “buy at the door if you’re just visiting the mountain” situation. You need an event ticket to access the grounds at all.
- Parking is off-site with free shuttle service during the day. Shuttles stop running around 6pm, so evening event attendees use on-site parking instead.
- No pets. Service animals only, and this is strictly enforced.
For current ticket prices and availability, check nhscot.org/buy-tickets directly. Pricing can shift year to year, and we’d rather send you to the source than print a number that’s gone stale by the time you read this.
GETTING THERE FROM BRETTON WOODS
Loon Mountain sits in Lincoln, NH, roughly 40 minutes from Bretton Woods via Route 3 and I-93. It’s an easy day trip if you’re staying with us, or you can plan a full weekend around it since the festival runs Friday through Sunday.
If you’re driving over for just the day, plan to arrive early. Parking fills up on Saturday especially, and the shuttle lines get longer as the morning goes on. Coming from the Bretton Woods side, you’ll also pass right by some of the best fall foliage viewing on Route 3, since the third weekend in September often lines up with the first real color at higher elevations. If you want to build a longer foliage drive around your festival trip, our 2026 fall foliage guide covers the best routes and timing.
MAKE IT A FULL WEEKEND
If you’re already making the drive to Lincoln, it’s worth building in time beyond the festival grounds. Lost River Gorge & Boulder Caves, a short drive from Loon Mountain in North Woodstock, is open daily during the festival weekend, typically 9am to 3:30pm (Lost River Gorge, 2026). It’s a mile of boardwalk trail through glacial boulder caves along the Lost River, and it’s a good way to spend a few hours the day after the Games if you’re not ready to head home yet.
The town of Lincoln itself sits at the western end of the Kancamagus Highway, so if your schedule allows an extra day, you’re perfectly positioned to add a scenic drive onto your festival trip without much extra travel.
WHERE TO STAY FOR HIGHLAND GAMES WEEKEND
Because the festival draws a crowd from across the Northeast, lodging near Loon books up well ahead of the third weekend in September. Staying in a vacation rental near Lincoln or elsewhere in the White Mountains gives you more room than a hotel room, especially if you’re bringing extended family for the weekend, and a full kitchen means you’re not trying to find a dinner table for eight people in a town that’s already busy with festival traffic.
Bretton Woods Vacations has managed 125+ curated properties across the White Mountains since 2017, including homes in the Lincoln area close to Loon Mountain. Our 24/7 local support team means that if festival weekend brings a packed house and something needs attention at the property, you’re not stuck on hold with a call center three states away. That kind of responsiveness is part of why more than a third of our guests come back year after year.
If the Highland Games is only part of your trip, this weekend also overlaps nicely with the start of fall foliage season. Check our full calendar of White Mountains events to see what else lines up with your dates, or browse our winter events guide if you’re already thinking ahead to your next trip.
FIRST TIME AT THE HIGHLAND GAMES? A FEW THINGS TO KNOW
If you’ve never been to a Highland Games before, a few things surprise most first-timers. The heavy athletics events, especially the caber toss, are genuinely impressive to watch in person in a way photos don’t quite capture. The scale of the massed pipe bands is bigger and louder than most people expect. And the Clan Village is worth more time than you’d think, even if you walk in with no idea whether you have Scottish ancestry at all. Most clan tents are staffed by enthusiastic volunteers happy to talk history with anyone who stops by.
Plan on spending most of a full day if you’re only going once. There’s enough spread across the grounds that trying to see everything in two or three hours means rushing past things you’d probably enjoy slowing down for.
TIPS FOR A BETTER FESTIVAL DAY
- Wear real shoes. The grounds are outdoors and mostly grass, and you’ll be on your feet for hours between venues.
- Bring layers. Mid-September mornings can be cool, afternoons can run warm, and evenings drop back down fast once the sun sets behind the mountain.
- Download the Loon Mountain Resort app before you go. It covers event updates, parking, and shuttle notifications in one place.
- Buy evening event tickets early if you want them. These are separate from daytime admission and sell out ahead of the weekend most years.
- Leave the pets home. There’s no workaround here, and leaving an animal in a parked car is neither safe nor allowed.
HIGHLAND GAMES FAQ
When is the 2026 NH Highland Games & Festival?
Friday, September 18 through Sunday, September 20, 2026, at Loon Mountain Resort in Lincoln, NH.
Do I need a ticket to visit Loon Mountain during the festival?
Yes. Loon Mountain Resort is only open to festival ticket holders during the event weekend. General mountain access is suspended for the duration.
Is the Highland Games good for kids?
Yes. Kids 14 and under get in free with a paying adult, and there’s a dedicated youth program running all three days with crafts, games, and storytelling.
Can I bring my dog?
No. Only service animals are permitted on the grounds. Pets, including in a parked car, are not allowed.
How far is Loon Mountain from Bretton Woods?
About 40 minutes by car via Route 3 and I-93, which makes it an easy day trip or a natural add-on to a longer White Mountains stay.
What happens if it rains?
The festival runs rain or shine. Tickets are non-refundable, so plan for weather either way.
