This weekend, the annual Radford Highlanders Festival returns and as one of the most popular and well-attended fall events in the New River Valley

On Friday, Oct. 2, and Saturday, Oct. 3, downtown Radford and the Radford University campus will come alive with the sounds of bagpipes and flashes of tartan plaid. Event organizers are anticipating this year will be one of the best in the festival’s 14-year history. Also, the festival will prove to be a unique opportunity to celebrate the university’s history coinciding with the 2009 festival as RU is headed into its centennial year.

RU Vice President of Student Affairs Norleen Pomerantz, who serves with Radford City Councilwoman Laurie Buchwald as co-chair of the steering committee said, “The Highlanders Festival celebrates the Scots-Irish traditions of the mountains, and this year, the festival is even more exciting because it will also celebrate the 100 years of traditions of Radford University. The collaboration between the City of Radford and Radford University has allowed the festival to grow, with an increase in the number and types of food and craft vendors, music options and fun things to do on a great weekend in October. We hope that people from all over will come to Radford—city and university—to enjoy and experience this Celtic celebration.”

The weekend begins with a Scottish tasting on Friday at the Ken Farmer Auction House on Harrison Street in Radford. Sponsored by Main Street Radford, the tasting requires reserved tickets. Events resume on Saturday at The Riverway with a 5-K race sponsored by the Radford Recreation Department. The Riverway is the City of Radford’s bikeway/walkway system.

A pancake breakfast, a collaboration between Main Street Radford and the Rotary Club, begins at 8 a.m. at the downtown Farmer’s Market. The Highlanders Festival Parade, a main event favorite, will begin at 11 a.m. and will make its way through downtown and up Tyler Avenue to Moffett Field where visitors can delight in a day of shopping, rub shoulders with the Scottish clans, check out the various heavyweight games and be entertained by music from several bands including the headline musicians Teribus. For more detailed information about the day’s music offerings, read the full article here.

Those stopping by the information table to fill out an opinion survey will have their names automatically entered for a chance at winning a historic RU Mailbox Bank handcrafted by volunteers in RU’s Facilities Management division. The banks are designed using glass windows from the former RU post office in Walker Hall. The drawing will be held at 4 p.m.

Saturday’s events, held in conjunction with RU’s annual Family Weekend, take place on Moffett Quad, Heth, and McConnell lawns. Returning are the heavyweight athletic games, a diverse array of craft and food vendors, the Scottish Clan gathering, band performances, sheepherding demonstrations, children’s activities and more. The Appalachian Folk Arts Festival, sponsored by RU’s Appalachian Events Committee, will be located at the center of campus near the fountain and will showcase some of the region’s traditional crafts. The first annual Welcome Back Reunion is also planned.

Additional information on all events are online and the site is updated on a regular basis. Admission to the Saturday festival on Moffett Field is free, however tickets are required for the Taste of the Highlands, the 5-K Run, and pancake breakfast. Visitors making a $1 donation to the festival will receive a small token of appreciation for their support.

To learn more about the tasting, registration fees and downtown events, contact Becky Haupt, Main Street Radford director, at 540.831.3656. For information on events happening on festival day, contact Bonnie Roberts Erickson in RU’s Office of University Relations at 540.831.5182 or e-mail broberts@radford.edu.

Sarah Sandridge is an intern for the New River Voice.