Colorado Highland Games: 2027 Dates, 2026 Photos and What to Know
Next up: Saturday September 25 and Sunday September 26, 2027 at the Denver Polo Club, 6359 Airport Road, Sedalia. Saturday 9am to 8pm, Sunday 9am to 5pm, per the organizers. 2027 tickets are not on sale yet.
The 2026 games ran Saturday September 26 and Sunday September 27. The photos, prices and schedule below are from 2026, so you know what to expect.
By Connor Tien, DougCo Social. We went in September 2025 and again on Sunday, September 27, 2026; the photography here is ours. Every detail below was checked against the organizers' own schedule and ticket pages on .
We went back on Sunday, September 27, 2026
We made it out Sunday morning, from about 10am to 12:30pm. First stop was the Highland Coo Exhibit, where you can hand-feed the cows through the fence. Then the British Car Show on the east side of the games field, the deerhounds, the heavy athletics, a blacksmith working at the RenScot tents, the clan tents, and the pipe bands out on the field before we headed out.
The full story of that Sunday, wolfhound puppies and all, is here: our day at the 2026 Colorado Highland Games.
The short version
This is the closest thing Colorado has to a proper Highland gathering, and most people are surprised to learn it happens in Douglas County rather than somewhere up in the mountains. The Denver Polo Club sits just off Airport Road in Sedalia, roughly 30 minutes from downtown Denver and about 15 from Castle Rock. You get Scottish heavy athletics all day, competitive piping and drumming, Highland dance, clan tents, a Celtic rock concert on Saturday night, a British car show on Sunday, and a pen of Highland cattle that every child at the festival will find within about four minutes.
2026 was the 62nd edition, put on by the St. Andrew Society of Colorado, which has been bringing Scottish culture to the Denver metro area since 1963. It was formerly called the Colorado Scottish Festival, so if that is the name you remember, this is the same event. It is also, in the organizers' own words, run entirely by volunteers.
What it actually feels like
We went in 2025 and wrote it up in DougCo Drop the following week. The honest summary from that visit: bagpipes going more or less constantly, a rugby exhibition on one field, fish and chips in a paper cone, a row of British cars that will make you start doing math you should not be doing, and the Highland cattle. It is a genuinely easy day out, and it is far less precious than the word "games" suggests. Bring a folding chair.
One thing organizers told us on site in 2025 and worth knowing if you are the type to plan ahead: they had just secured approval to keep the games at the Denver Polo Club for the next five years. So this location looks settled for a while.
Tickets and prices (2026)
| Who | Single day | Weekend |
|---|---|---|
| Adults (18-54) | $25 | $45 |
| Kids 7-17 | $20 | $35 |
| Seniors 55+ | $20 | $35 |
| Active-duty military | $20 | $35 |
| Children under 7 | Free | Free |
| Family 4-Pack (2 adults + 2 kids) | $80 | $145 |
All prices are before ticketing fees. These are the 2026 prices from the 2026 ticket page; 2027 prices are not posted yet.
Parking, and the one thing people get caught by
Parking is $5 per day. Pre-pay it online with your admission. Parking bought at the gate on the day is cash only, which is the single most common way to get stuck at an event that otherwise runs on card.
Whisky seminars and the Thistle Club
Whisky seminars are $35 and the Scotch Whisky & Chocolate Pairing on Sunday is $65. Both are 21 and up with limited seating, and neither includes festival admission, so you need two tickets. The Thistle Club VIP pass is $150, also 21 and up, and covers weekend admission and VIP parking, a welcome reception each morning, a standard whisky seminar ticket, a haggis sample, a meat and cheese board, a private bar and a commemorative gift.
There is also a free Highland Dress & Celtic Weaponry presentation by Don Lowe at 10am both days in the Whisky Seminar tent. Space is limited.
Saturday schedule, September 26, 2026
| Time | What |
|---|---|
| 9:00am | Games open to the public |
| 9:00am | Scottish heavy athletics begin (all day)Athletics |
| 9:00am | Clans, vendors, tartan information and the Highland Coo exhibit |
| 9:00am | Bairns' (children's) activities, until 4:00pm |
| 9:00am | RenScot demos: weaving, spinning, blacksmithing, leather working, museum (all day) |
| 10:00am | Parade of British Dogs |
| 10:00am | Free presentation: Highland Dress & Celtic WeaponryFree |
| 10:30am | Weapons lessons in the RenScot Village |
| 11:00am | Women's Lightweight World ChampionshipAthletics |
| 12:00pm | Midday ceremonies, Parade of Clans, Massed Bands |
| 1:00pm | Whisky seminar (separate ticket)Ticketed |
| 2:00pm | Pipe band competition |
| 2:00pm | Bonnie Knees Contest |
| 4:00pm | Highland dance awards ceremony |
| 5:00pm | Concert opener: Old Blind Dogs, Glasgow Main StageMusic |
| 6:30pm | Concert headliner: Seven Nations, Glasgow Main StageMusic |
| 7:30pm | Last call for beer and food |
| 8:00pm | Games close for the evening |
Sunday schedule, September 27, 2026
| Time | What |
|---|---|
| 9:00am | Games open to the public |
| 9:00am | Scottish heavy athletics (all day)Athletics |
| 9:00am | British Car Show opens |
| 9:00am | Clans, vendors, tartan information and the Highland Coo exhibit |
| 9:30am | Kirkin' o' the Tartan, Music Tent |
| 10:00am | Parade of British Dogs, including the Blessing of the Animals |
| 10:00am | Free presentation: Highland Dress & Celtic WeaponryFree |
| 10:15am | Seven Nations, Highland Dance StageMusic |
| 10:15am | British Cars: President's Choice Awards |
| 11:00am | Women's Lightweight World ChampionshipAthletics |
| 11:45am | Old Blind Dogs, Highland Dance StageMusic |
| 12:00pm | Rugby exhibition, North Field |
| 1:00pm | Seven Nations, Glasgow Main StageMusic |
| 1:00pm | Scotch Whisky & Chocolate Pairing (separate ticket)Ticketed |
| 2:00pm | Pipe band competition |
| 2:30pm | Old Blind Dogs, Glasgow Main StageMusic |
| 4:00pm | Closing ceremonies, Last Post, Massed Bands |
| 5:00pm | Games end for 2026 |
This is the condensed version. The organizers publish a fuller stage-by-stage schedule, and they note it is subject to change, so check the official schedule before you go.
Who played in 2026
Seven Nations was the 2026 concert headliner, closing Saturday on the Glasgow Main Stage from 6:30 to 8:00pm, with Old Blind Dogs opening at 5:00pm. Both played again on Sunday. Across the weekend the lineup also included:
- The McDeviants
- Skean Dubh
- Corkscrew Hill
- Once Upon A Tune
- Cask & Chisel
- Piscin & Luch
- Ballyhooley
- Indigent Row
- the commoners
- Avourneen
- Chancer's Hooley
Plus the Rocky Mountain Highland Dancers, Queen City Pipe Band, Rose Courtney Irish Dancers and Caitriona Irish Dance.
Good to know before you go
- It is outdoors, rain or shine. The organizers state there are no provisions for inclement weather and no ticket refunds. Purchase protection is sold separately at checkout.
- Bring a chair. Seating is limited outside the ticketed areas.
- Merch is pre-order. The 2026 t-shirt is $25 and an 18oz beer mug is $20, which includes the first fill. You collect both at the St. Andrew Society of Colorado tent during the weekend. There is no shipping.
- Sunday is the quieter, more relaxed day and it is when the British Car Show, the Kirkin' o' the Tartan and the rugby exhibition happen.
- Dogs are part of the programming, not an afterthought. The Parade of British Dogs runs at 10am both days, with a Blessing of the Animals on Sunday.
Frequently asked questions
When are the 2027 Colorado Highland Games?
Saturday September 25 and Sunday September 26, 2027, back at the Denver Polo Club in Sedalia. Saturday runs 9am to 8pm and Sunday runs 9am to 5pm, per scottishgames.org. Tickets, prices and the schedule are not posted yet; the organizers say they will be added as they become available.
When and where are the Colorado Highland Games 2026?
Saturday September 26 and Sunday September 27, 2026 at the Denver Polo Club, 6359 Airport Road, Sedalia, CO 80135. Saturday runs 9am to 8pm and Sunday runs 9am to 5pm. It is roughly 30 minutes from downtown Denver and about 15 minutes from Castle Rock.
How much are tickets to the Colorado Highland Games?
Adults 18 to 54 are $25 for a single day or $45 for the weekend. Kids 7 to 17, seniors 55 and up, and active-duty military are $20 a day or $35 for the weekend. Children under 7 are free. A Family 4-Pack covering two adults and two children is $80 for a day or $145 for the weekend. All prices are before ticketing fees.
Is parking free at the Colorado Highland Games?
No. Parking is $5 per day. You can pre-pay online with your admission, and you should, because parking bought at the gate on the day of the event is cash only.
Who is headlining the Colorado Highland Games in 2026?
Seven Nations is the concert headliner, playing the Glasgow Main Stage Saturday evening from 6:30 to 8:00pm. Old Blind Dogs is the concert opener at 5:00pm Saturday. Both bands also play multiple sets on Sunday.
Is the Colorado Highland Games the same as the Colorado Scottish Festival?
Yes. The event was formerly known as the Colorado Scottish Festival and is now called the Colorado Highland Games. It is run by the St. Andrew Society of Colorado, which has been bringing Scottish culture to the Denver metro area since 1963.
Are the Colorado Highland Games kid friendly?
Yes. Children under 7 get in free, and Bairns' (children's) activities run from 9am to 4pm both days. Kids also tend to gravitate to the Highland Coo exhibit, the Parade of British Dogs and the RenScot village demonstrations.
Do whisky seminar tickets include admission to the games?
No. Whisky seminars are ticketed separately and do not include festival admission, so you need both. Seminars are $35, the Scotch Whisky and Chocolate Pairing is $65, all attendees must be 21 or older, and seating is limited.
What happens if it rains?
The games are held outdoors rain or shine. The organizers state there are no provisions for inclement weather and they offer no ticket refunds. Purchase protection is offered separately at checkout.
More to do around here
- Fall events in Douglas County — the full autumn lineup, festival by festival
- Cherokee Ranch & Castle events — the Scottish-style castle a few minutes up the road in Sedalia
- Saturday event listing and Sunday event listing
- Denver Polo Club — the venue, on the DougCo Directory
- A Sanctuary Center — the labyrinth and wishing trees at Wolfensberger and 105 in Sedalia
- Barnside Pumpkins — the free family pumpkin stand in Sedalia
- Douglas County Fall Festival at Sandstone Ranch — the county's free festival the same weekend, down in Larkspur
- Larkspur Renaissance Festival — the other big costumed festival in the county
- Every event we track in Douglas County
Sources: the Colorado Highland Games website, its published 2026 schedule, and the official ticket page, all checked on August 31, 2026, plus our own reporting from attending the 2025 and 2026 games. Schedules and prices change; confirm with the organizers before you buy.