McMinnville Scottish Festival .. We’re putting the “Mac” back in McMinnville
Buy online now and skip the purchase line at the gate! Admission tickets include a variety of exhibits, competition viewing, highland games, all concerts, and more! Event will take place, rain or shine, no refunds. The festival is put on by the Celtic Heritage Alliance, a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization. ⚡️PRO-TIP⚡️ – If you plan on enjoying an adult beverage at the festival, make sure you stop by the ID check station near the main gate, and purchase tokens at one of our Swig & Swag booths, as the beer tent is tokens only, no cash or card!
Check out our 2024 Festival Schedule, with ongoing additions and updates until the event!
Looking to lend a hand and experience the festival in a whole new way? Our volunteers love helping out at the McMinnville Scottish Festival, and a huge number return to volunteer year after year. You get to work alongside some great people, and there are some pretty great perks that go along with it! Volunteer registration is now open!
McMinnville has grown to be an internationally recognized city in the heart of Willamette Valley known best for its small town main street, and its place in the rich Willamette Valley wine industry, early UFO sightings, and the resting place of the Hercules (Howard Hughes’ Spruce Goose).
About the McMinnville Scottish Festival
With all this attention it seems few have pondered why it bears the name of McMinnville? Did anyone of importance in city history have that name? Are there Scottish or Irish roots?
As it turns out, no one in the city’s history was named McMinnville. The city’s founder William T. Newby (1820–1884), an early immigrant on the Oregon Trail, named the city after his hometown McMinnville, Tennessee. He must have cared for his home quite a bit to establish a city across the country with the same name.
McMinnville does indeed have Scottish roots; however, McMinnville, Tennessee was named after Governor Joseph McMinn (1758-1824). His grandfather, Robert McMinn (1690-1757) emigrated from his home in Perth, Scotland, to make a home in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
By importing the name of his hometown, William Newby intentionally, or unintentionally, brought a bit of Scotland to our city, McMinnville.
The Celtic Heritage Alliance builds on that Scottish connection and brings the “Mac” back in McMinnville with the McMinnville Scottish Festival! Join us October 5th and 6th, 2024 at the Yamhill County Fairgrounds.
