Last verified: August 2026. The 2026 dates, daily hours, venue, current ticket policies, Friday evening events, Clan Row, competitions, visitor rules, transportation information, and major activity areas were checked against the official Seaside Highland Games website, the current 2026 TicketSpice page, and Ventura County Fairgrounds information.
The Seaside Highland Games bring Scottish athletics, pipe bands, Highland dance, clans, Celtic music, sheep herding, harp music, children’s activities, British cars, vendors, and living-history displays to the Pacific coast in Ventura, California.
The 2026 Games are confirmed for Saturday, October 10 and Sunday, October 11, 2026, with festival gates open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. both days. The organizer describes 2026 as the event’s 22nd outing.
A separate Scottish evening begins the weekend on Friday, October 9, with a pre-dinner whisky tasting followed by an evening dinner program.
This guide is part of the Celtic Studio Scottish Highland Games hub. It focuses first on the questions a visitor actually needs answered: when to go, what happens each day, how admission works, where the Games are held, how to reach the venue, what Clan Row offers, and how to plan the day.
Important: Celtic Studio is not the organizer of the Seaside Highland Games and does not sell official festival tickets, competition registrations, RV spaces, whisky tasting admission, or Friday dinner tickets. Confirm last-minute changes through the official Seaside Highland Games website.
Seaside Highland Games Quick Facts
| Event | Seaside Highland Games |
|---|---|
| Confirmed dates | October 10–11, 2026 |
| Edition | 22nd outing |
| Saturday hours | 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. |
| Sunday hours | 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. |
| Venue | Ventura County Fairgrounds at Seaside Park |
| Address | 10 W. Harbor Blvd, Ventura, CA 93001 |
| Friday events | Whisky tasting at 5:00 p.m.; A Scottish Evening dinner at 6:30 p.m. |
| Saturday ceremony | Opening Ceremonies and Grand Parade at noon |
| Main attractions | Heavy athletics, pipes and drums, Highland dance, Clan Row, Harp Glen, sheep herding, Celtic music, Scottish country dancing, British cars, Children’s Glen, vendors, and historical displays |
| Children | Children age five and under enter free with an adult |
| Pets | Pets are not allowed; ADA service dogs are permitted |
| Weather policy | Rain or shine |
The full 2026 entertainment and competition schedule was not yet published during this verification. The organizer’s FAQ says the detailed schedule is normally posted about two weeks before the festival. The schedule page was still displaying the 2025 program, so visitors should not use those old individual times as the final 2026 timetable.
Check the official Schedule of Events page again shortly before travelling.
What Are the Seaside Highland Games?
The Seaside Highland Games are a Southern California Scottish festival held at Ventura County Fairgrounds beside the Pacific Ocean. For the festival weekend, the venue is organized into a network of competition areas, clan tents, music stages, activity glens, cultural displays, food vendors, and family spaces.
The organizer describes the Games as a gathering that draws participants from across the western United States. For 2026, the official homepage specifically highlights strong participation connected with Clan Munro, Clan Gunn, and Innes societies.
The setting separates Seaside from mountain-based Highland Games such as Grandfather Mountain or the New Hampshire Highland Games at Loon Mountain. Here, the Scottish gathering sits directly beside the California coast, with ocean air, palm trees, railway access, and downtown Ventura close by.
For visitors new to the tradition, read What Are the Scottish Highland Games? for background on how athletics, pipes, clans, dance, tartan, and public ceremony developed into the modern Highland Games format.
Seaside Highland Games Dates and Hours
The main festival runs:
- Saturday, October 10, 2026: 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
- Sunday, October 11, 2026: 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
A purchased general-admission ticket is valid for the selected festival day. Special Friday events and camping are separate from standard admission.
Which Day Is Better?
Saturday is the stronger choice for visitors who want the ceremonial side of the Games because the organizer has confirmed the Opening Ceremonies and Grand Parade for noon.
Sunday still provides a full festival day with competitions, music, clans, shopping, family activities, and cultural programming.
The best choice for someone following one specific pipe band, athlete, dancer, musician, or competition depends on the final schedule released shortly before the festival.
Friday Night: Whisky Tasting and A Scottish Evening
The current 2026 ticket system lists two separate Friday events on October 9, 2026.
Pre-Dinner Whisky Tasting
The whisky tasting begins at 5:00 p.m.. It is a separate ticketed program and is not included with regular Saturday or Sunday festival admission.
A Scottish Evening
The Friday dinner begins at 6:30 p.m.. The organizer describes the evening as a combination of buffet dinner, Scottish entertainment, dance, fashion, and a silent auction.
Friday events are traditionally held at:
Four Points by Sheraton Ventura Harbor Resort1050 Schooner Drive
Ventura, CA 93001
The older general activity page still displays previous pricing, so use the current 2026 TicketSpice checkout rather than assuming an old price remains valid.
Seaside Highland Games Tickets
The active 2026 ticket portal covers general admission, the Friday whisky tasting, the Friday dinner, and RV parking.
Current ticket policies state:
- children age five and under enter free when accompanied by an adult;
- electronic tickets can be scanned directly from a mobile device;
- general ticket prices do not include camping or separately ticketed special events;
- standard sales are final, with no refunds or exchanges under the regular event policy;
- the Games take place rain or shine.
Because ticket types and checkout prices can change, use the official 2026 Seaside Highland Games ticket page for the current total.
Where Are the Seaside Highland Games Held?
The Games take place at:
Ventura County Fairgrounds10 W. Harbor Blvd
Ventura, CA 93001
The Fairgrounds sit at Seaside Park near downtown Ventura and the Pacific coast. The location is approximately one hour north of Los Angeles and about 30 minutes south of Santa Barbara under favorable traffic conditions.
The coastal venue is one of the strongest reasons to treat Seaside as its own destination rather than as a generic Highland Games page. Visitors can combine the Games with downtown Ventura, the waterfront, Ventura Pier, and other coastal attractions.
Getting to the Games
Driving from Los Angeles
For northbound Highway 101 traffic, the official directions recommend the Seaward Avenue or California Street exit, then continuing toward the ocean and Harbor Boulevard.
Driving from Santa Barbara
Southbound visitors can use the Seaward Avenue exit and continue toward Harbor Boulevard and Seaside Park.
Amtrak Pacific Surfliner
One unusually convenient option is rail travel. The Ventura Amtrak station is located only steps from the gates to Seaside Park.
That makes Seaside one of the Highland Games where a visitor may be able to avoid a long parking search entirely. Check the current Pacific Surfliner timetable before relying on train arrival and departure times.
Use the official Plan Your Visit page for directions, accommodation information, and the event map.
Opening Ceremonies and Grand Parade
The organizer has confirmed a Saturday Opening Ceremony and Grand Parade at noon.
This is one of the best times for a first-time visitor to see the ceremonial side of the Games: tartans, pipe bands, representatives, banners, and the public presentation of Scottish organizations together in one place.
Arrive well before noon if the Grand Parade is a priority. Parking, admission, walking through the grounds, and finding a good viewing position all take time.
Scottish Heavy Athletics
The Highland heavies are one of the main competitive attractions. Seaside Highland Games heavy athletics are sanctioned by the Scottish American Athletic Association.
Traditional Highland athletic disciplines can include:
- stone putting;
- weight throws;
- Scottish hammer;
- weight over bar;
- caber toss;
- other divisions determined by the competition program.
The final 2026 order of competition should be checked when the detailed schedule is published.
Bagpiping, Drumming, and Drum Majoring
Seaside hosts formal bagpiping and drumming competition as well as drum major competition. Competitors travel from across the western states, and pipe bands also contribute to the ceremonial soundscape of the festival.
Visitors interested primarily in piping should distinguish between:
- solo piping competition;
- solo drumming;
- pipe band competition;
- drum major events;
- parade and ceremonial appearances.
These do not necessarily occur at the same time or place, so use the competition schedule rather than assuming the pipes are one continuous performance.
Highland Dance
The Highland dance competition is sanctioned through SDUSA West. Competitive Highland dancing combines athletic conditioning, exact footwork, turnout, posture, musical timing, and formal dance technique.
The final dance divisions and times should be confirmed from the 2026 competition information.
Clan Row and Scottish Family History
Clan Row is one of the most important areas for Celtic Studio visitors because it turns a surname search into a conversation with people actively involved in preserving clan history.
Representatives of clans and Scottish societies answer questions about:
- Scottish surnames;
- clan history;
- septs and associated names;
- tartans;
- genealogy;
- society membership;
- Scottish culture and regional history.
The organizer specifically highlights Munro, Gunn, and Innes societies for the 2026 gathering, while additional clan organizations participate through the Clan Row registration program.
A surname alone is not proof of descent from one particular clan. A name may have several spellings, multiple geographical origins, several possible clan associations, or no documented clan relationship at all.
Before travelling, use the Scottish Clan Finder below to search your surname, compare spelling variants, and open the matching Celtic Studio clan crest collection.
Scottish Clan Finder
Find Your Scottish Clan Before the Games
Search your Scottish clan or family name to find matching Celtic Studio clan crest products before visiting Clan Row at the Seaside Highland Games.
Tip: try Mac and Mc spelling variations. Some surnames may connect with more than one Scottish tradition.
Loading Celtic Studio Scottish clan collections...
Use Clan Row as a research starting point rather than a final genealogy ruling. Bring surnames from both maternal and paternal lines, possible spelling variations, and any known locations from your family history.
Children’s Glen and the Clan Passport
Seaside has a dedicated Children’s Glen rather than treating children’s entertainment as an afterthought.
The organizer currently lists activities such as:
- three-legged races;
- beanbag toss;
- learning about bagpipes;
- Scottish dance steps;
- weaving;
- an archaeological-style search for Scottish treasure;
- Bairn Athletics;
- sword-fighting activities.
Children can also collect a free Clan Passport and have it stamped at clan tables along Clan Row. That is a smart way to turn the clan area into an interactive family activity rather than a row of tents children simply walk past.
Harp Glen
Harp Glen gives the festival a quieter musical space alongside the pipes, drums, and Celtic rock stages.
The current activities program describes:
- harp ensemble performances;
- solo performances by experienced harpers;
- a Harp Ring where musicians exchange tunes and stories;
- traditional Celtic repertoire alongside modern music.
This is useful for visitors interested in Scottish and Celtic music beyond the most obvious sound of the Great Highland Bagpipe.
Live Celtic Music
The organizer promotes three stages of live music, mixing traditional music, folk, Celtic rock, Gaelic song, and contemporary interpretations.
The current activities page highlights performers including The Dropkick Mickeys, Brick Top Blaggers, Tempest, and The Browne Sisters & George Cavanaugh. Treat the final 2026 schedule as authoritative for exact appearance times.
Scottish Country Dancing
Scottish country dancing adds a participatory tradition to the festival. Demonstrations and workshops introduce visitors to social dances rather than requiring them to arrive with previous experience.
The current program references the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society Los Angeles Branch demonstration team and ceilidh-style instruction.
This is a useful distinction for first-time visitors: Highland dance is a formal competitive tradition, while Scottish country dancing is predominantly social group dancing. They should not be treated as the same thing.
Sheep Herding Demonstrations
Working sheepdogs demonstrate communication between dog, handler, and livestock through whistle and voice commands.
These demonstrations are popular because the skill is immediately understandable even to visitors with no agricultural background. A good working dog is not simply chasing sheep. It is controlling direction, pressure, distance, and movement in response to the handler.
British Cars and the WWII Encampment
The Games also extend beyond specifically Scottish competition.
A British car display gives visitors a chance to see classic and enthusiast-owned vehicles, while the World War II military encampment introduces another historical interpretation area.
The military display should be understood as twentieth-century historical interpretation, separate from older Highland clan history. Keeping those periods distinct makes the cultural experience more accurate.
Vendors, Celtic Food, and Shopping
Festival merchants offer Celtic jewelry, tartans, clothing, crafts, food, and other Scottish and Celtic products.
Visitors who plan to shop should remember that an event vendor area and a specialist made-to-order business serve different needs. Festival booths are ideal for browsing and immediate purchases, while custom clan crest jewelry or family-specific items often need to be ordered before the Games.
What Should You Wear to the Seaside Highland Games?
A kilt is welcome but not required.
Ventura’s coastal location means visitors should prepare for sun, ocean breeze, and temperature changes between morning and afternoon. Comfortable walking shoes are more important than formal Highland dress for most spectators.
A practical outfit can include:
- comfortable shoes;
- light daytime clothing;
- a removable layer for the morning or ocean breeze;
- sun protection;
- a lightweight waterproof layer if rain is forecast.
Visitors who want to express Scottish heritage can add one family-specific element, such as a tartan accessory, clan crest cap badge, pendant, ring, plaid brooch, or kilt pin.
Scottish Clan Accessories for the Games
The natural Celtic Studio connection comes after researching your surname and visiting Clan Row.
Useful heritage pieces include:
- Scottish clan crest cap badges;
- kilt pins;
- plaid brooches;
- clan crest rings;
- pendants;
- belt buckles;
- Scottish family keepsakes and gifts.
Browse the Highland Games Gifts and Scottish Clan Accessories page or the Scottish Gifts collection. Made-to-order pieces should be ordered well before October.
RV Camping and Where to Stay
The official Plan Your Visit page lists dry camping for RVs and trailers near the ocean. These spaces have no hookups.
The current visitor information lists:
- arrival as early as Thursday afternoon;
- departure by Monday morning;
- Lot B or Lot C options;
- a currently published rate of $50 per night;
- festival tickets required separately for each person staying in the RV.
The active 2026 TicketSpice system lists RV parking for October 8–11. Confirm the final camping total and availability during checkout.
The organizer also identifies Four Points by Sheraton Ventura Harbor Resort as its host hotel.
Practical Visitor Tips
Check the Schedule About Two Weeks Before the Games
The official FAQ says the detailed schedule is generally published about two weeks before the festival. Do not plan around the old schedule currently displayed on the website.
Arrive Before the Saturday Noon Parade
If the Opening Ceremonies and Grand Parade matter to you, do not arrive at noon. Allow time for transportation, admission, and finding the parade area.
Consider Taking Amtrak
The station is only steps from the Fairgrounds, making rail one of the most practical transportation options for this particular Highland Games.
Leave Pets at Home
Pets are prohibited at Ventura County Fairgrounds during the Games, including pets left inside vehicles or campers. ADA service dogs are the exception under the current ticket policy.
Save the Map and Schedule to Your Phone
Maps are available at the entrance, and QR codes around the Fairgrounds provide digital schedule access. Saving important information before arrival reduces unnecessary searching during the event.
Bring Your Family Names to Clan Row
Write down maternal and paternal surnames, historical spellings, and any Scottish locations known from your family records.
Prepare for Sun and Ocean Breeze
Ventura can feel warm in direct sun and noticeably cooler when the coastal wind increases. Layers are more useful than one heavy outfit.
Seaside Highland Games Frequently Asked Questions
When are the Seaside Highland Games in 2026?
The Seaside Highland Games are scheduled for Saturday, October 10 and Sunday, October 11, 2026.
What time are the Seaside Highland Games?
The gates open at 9:00 a.m. and close at 5:00 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.
Where are the Seaside Highland Games held?
The Games are held at Ventura County Fairgrounds, 10 W. Harbor Blvd, Ventura, California 93001.
When is the 2026 schedule released?
The organizer states that the detailed schedule is typically posted approximately two weeks before the festival.
Are tickets required?
Yes. General admission is ticketed. Friday whisky tasting, the Friday dinner, and RV camping are separate ticket categories.
Do young children enter free?
Yes. The current 2026 ticket policy states that children age five and under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult.
Are dogs allowed?
No. Pets are not allowed at Ventura County Fairgrounds during the Games. ADA service dogs are permitted.
Are there Scottish clan tents?
Yes. Clan Row includes representatives of Scottish clans and societies who discuss ancestry, family names, history, tartans, and Scottish culture.
Is there anything for children?
Yes. Children’s Glen includes games, Scottish dance activities, bagpipe education, weaving, Bairn Athletics, and a Clan Passport that can be stamped along Clan Row.
Can I take the train?
Yes. The Ventura Amtrak station is located very close to the entrance to Seaside Park, making the Pacific Surfliner a practical option.
Do I need to wear a kilt?
No. Kilts and tartan are welcome, but comfortable outdoor clothing is appropriate for spectators.
Do the Games happen if it rains?
Yes. The current ticket policy states that the Seaside Highland Games are held rain or shine.
Plan Your Seaside Highland Games Visit
The Seaside Highland Games combine a serious Scottish cultural program with a venue unlike most major Games in the United States: a Pacific coastal fairground within walking distance of a railway station and close to downtown Ventura.
Before travelling:
- purchase the correct 2026 admission;
- check the detailed schedule when it is released;
- arrive early for the Saturday noon Grand Parade;
- consider Amtrak as an alternative to driving;
- prepare layers for coastal weather;
- leave pets at home;
- research your Scottish surnames before visiting Clan Row.
Continue through the Celtic Studio Highland Games silo:
- Explore the Scottish Highland Games guide
- Browse Highland Games event listings
- Read the history of the Highland Games
- Learn what to wear to Highland Games
- Explore the Colorado Highland Games guide
- Plan a Scotland County Highland Games weekend
- Explore the New Hampshire Highland Games
- Plan a visit to the Celtic Classic
- Explore the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games
Official and primary sources: Seaside Highland Games official website, official 2026 tickets, official FAQ, Plan Your Visit, competitions, festival activities, schedule, and Ventura County Fairgrounds.