To do full justice to this story, let’s step back to the evening before the festival, when the celebrations actually began. Friday night, the festival commenced with ‘Ceilidh’, a Gaelic term meaning “a social gathering with traditional music, dancing, and storytelling” at 7pm. Johnathan Shegog played the bagpipes to welcome visitors to downtown Foxburg for the event held in the grassy nook between Foxburg Free Library and Foxburg Wine Cellars. Throughout Ceilidh, Carl Peterson and Robert Murdoch sang folk songs joined by Melinda Crawford on the fiddle and her husband Dan Crawford accompanying on piano. It was a joyous open air concert interlaced with the sounds of the bagpipes up and down the valley.

Saturday’s events started with the opening ceremony by MacDonald Pipe Band from Pittsburgh and was followed by various events including athletic performances wherein athletes displayed their strength and skills with the Caber Toss and Stone Put, sheepdog herding demonstrations by Tom Conn & Pam Gardner, and a variety of live music by the MacDonald Pipe Band and other performers. There were many craft vendors selling their wares ranging from pottery to kilts to hand pulled wool. Foods of the Highland included traditional Scottish delights such as meat pies, sausages, homemade cookies or folks could even have a slice of pizza by Foxburg Pizza. Other businesses in Foxburg also joined in the festivities with wine from Foxburg Wine Cellars, and Chocolates by Divani Chocolate Boutique to give the visitors a taste of the town. Inside the Events Center, kids enjoyed stories and songs by John Mickle and also had an opportunity to learn some Gaelic from Harry Webb. Popcorn, chocolate and ice cream were some of the tasty treats readily available for snacking… a kid’s dream come true! Visitors awaited horse carriage rides given by the Hovis family of Emlenton and Segway Tours promoted a new kind of “leisure sport” with a team of Segways, giving demonstrations and trials. Other attractions included various Scottish clan organizations who lined their tent along the roadway near the Galloway and Highland cattle. There, they shared their history and offered genealogy study and memberships.
The festival was interluded with announcements from the management, one of which was for the band to play the surprise ‘Happy Birthday’ tune for Dr Arthur Steffee, the owner of Riverstone Farm, who hosted the festival on his premises. Incidentally, during the closing ceremony, Dr. Steffee announced that he discovered at the festival that he is about a quarter Scottish.

A special “Moran taing!” goes out to all of the volunteers for ARCA in making this wonderful event such a success, after all it was a great day for Scotland and Foxburg!

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We (my husband and I) were supposed to go to the city for supplies that day, but as the hours melted in the summer sun, so did our ambition to proceed as planned. It was a simple choice, really. Race to downtown Pittsburgh at the peak of rush hour? Or transform a dream into reality. We chose the latter. Next thing I know, I’m headed for Parker.

We pulled into the lot overlooking that majestic temptress in all her shimmering glory, ready to trade our four wheeled rolling vehicle for something a little more… buoyant. And so it was. A feeling of surreal excitement radiated throughout my being as we entered the house of a new experience. Rows of life-jackets dutifully lined the walls, oars ready and waiting in their respective posts, a vast hall encompassing various floatable vessels, and a welcoming, “Hello there!” filled my senses. Ready was the moment and we were with it. As we were guided in the direction of attainment, we suited ourselves, selected our oars and hopped in the transport van which had earlier been graced with the object of our pursuit… a canoe. This trip from Foxburg to Parker marked our first time ever in a canoe on the river. “See you in a couple of days!”, teased the owner smilingly as he waved.

Riding to our launch point, feeling the breeze flowing through the open windows, I thought to myself, “This is the perfect day for an adventure” and when we pulled in to park and unload the canoe, the determination to make it back to Parker in the shortest amount of time possible assumed the driver’s seat of my ambitions. “Not only will we make it back today,” I thought jestingly, “but we’ll make it back in record time!”
“Enjoy your trip!” our guide wished us as we shoved off.

After spinning in circles from one end of Foxburg to the other, we finally got a feel for the water… and the boat! I abandoned my aspiration of being the fastest first time canoer of all and settled back into reality taking in the green, sunny scenery and the sights of wildlife. Breathing the fresh air and feeling the working of muscles that I had forgotten I had, as we paddled forth. For a moment, the Lenape appeared beneath the shadows of the trees, seamlessly slicing through the water on their craft.

We ventured in to the Clarion River and back out again, continuing down the Allegheny over tiny rapids, past some fishermen and back to our starting point at Parker’s Landing. By the time we returned, we were like seasoned professionals steering straight to the cement slope to reconvene with dry land.

What a refreshing way to spend an afternoon. Out on the open waters without a care in the world. Anything less than a storytelling would not have done the experience justice. Less than an experience would not do anything justice! Summer time is short, but the daylight showers us with the opportunity to experience new things. Or if not something new, then something loved. So, if you haven’t yet, then do. If you already have, then do again. The waters are calling you.

EPILOGUE
Parkers Landing makes your canoeing experience easier and more accessible. All you really need to do is show up! The friendly staff there will help you pick your canoe, oars and life jacket. You will then load up the canoe on their van and proceed to your chosen launch point which would depend on how much distance you wish to cover canoeing. Parkers Landing has various designated launch points for different routes. Other than canoes, they also have kayaks as well as inflatable circular rafts perfect for an afternoon on the river with friends. For more details and pricing, please visit their website.

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