Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival Celebrates 30 Years on July 19 in Northampton, MA
What began in 1994 as a one-time event to raise funds for an historic church in western Massachusetts is still going strong some three decades later.
On July 19, 2025, the beloved Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival celebrates its 30th anniversary. The milestone offers a moment to reflect on why Glasgow is readily hailed as one of the most popular Scottish festivals in New England, and perhaps on the Eastern Seaboard.
Event Chairman Peter Langmore, an original organizer and a primary organizer ever since, says the festival remains popular for several reasons.
“First, everyone loves the idyllic location at Look Park in Florence.” Located in the City of Northampton in Western Massachusetts, the park is a reasonable driving distance from all of New England and New York and the Mid-Atlantic States.
“Second, the broad range of activities of Scottish, Irish and Celtic cultures, cuisine and sports are a huge draw,” Langmore says. “With over 38 pipe bands and clans, plus all the other activities, the festival is a fun filled day for all ages and ethnicities.”
Plus, Langmore asks rhetorically, “Who cannot be impressed with 38 pipe bands playing Amazing Grace to end the day!”
For Scottish music lovers, this year’s performers include Albannach, The Devil’s Brigade, Waking Finnegan and other fan favorites. The onsite Celtic Pub serves beer, wine and mead, and there is also Whisky Tasting!
New to the festival in 2025 is Saving Scottish Wildcats, a group dedicated to saving the Scottish Wildcats species. And the festival is hosting the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association’s (EUSPBA) Northeast Branch Amateur Drumming Championships.
“The final result is worth all the time and effort our small committee puts into the festival,” Langmore says, adding, “And being able to donate all proceeds to the two local nonprofits has always been a highlight for me.”
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