Scotch, Haggis, Haggis and Scotch...and Firemen in Kilts!

The Lethbridge Firefighters Pipes and Drums with Senator Joyce Fairbairn and Alex Lawson in the background

Once again, our annual Robbie Burns celebration has come and gone! After months of planning the program and all the little extras - haggis tasting and Scotch tasting mainly - we were able to put our feet up and enjoy the event!

Haggis Tasting

Each year I wonder how many people will come, because before I worked here I sure didn't know much about this Robbie Burns fellow myself, but each year I am impressed by our record crowds - with over 350 people this year, and comments on twitter about parking being a challenge because of the crowd being so large! And not only does our event grow, but I hear of others celebrating Robbie Burns too, mainly at bars and lounges, but it is still wonderful to see the passion for Robbie Burns seem to grow, not die off!

The piping in of the haggis - Senator Joyce Fairbairn, haggis bearer Gordon Campbell, and Ian McKenna (MC)

Being the longest running public Burns event in our area, I do get contacted each year by people looking for MCs, speakers, and most of all, bagpipers! I always share my contacts with them so that they too can celebrate this interesting Scot's life. And I remember that just 4 years ago, we couldn't hardly find a piper and this year we were blessed with TWO pipe and drum bands - the Lethbridge Legion Pipe and Drum Band and the newer Lethbridge Firefighters Pipes and Drums!

The Lethbridge Firefighters Pipes and Drums

The Legion band is wonderful - they have been around for a long time and have some very excellent musicians in their mix (if not all of their musicians!). The Firefighters band stole the show with a wonderful and fun version of Amazing Grace.

The Lethbridge Legion Pipe and Drum Band arriving

Lethbridge Legion Pipe and Drum Band warming up, under the leadership of David Kaminski (facing the camera)

And of course, the Lethbridge Highland Dancers - those girls are just so fun and amazing to watch and the diversity of the experience makes it even more interesting as the newest dancers work on their footwork while the older dancers make it look so easy. It all really makes you appreciate the talents of these girls and their instructors.

The Lethbridge Highland Dancers perform

We couldn't do any of it without our sponsors and donors....DBS Environmental for once again sponsoring our haggis (and all 18 lbs was gone by the end of the night!)........Andrew Hilton Wine and Spirits for putting together the Scotch Tasting and running it for us as a fundraiser for the museum......Park Meadows Safeway for water for the Scotch Tasting and crackers for the haggis.....LA Chefs for preparing our haggis and lending us their equipment for the evening.....the Enmax Centre for giving us 2 tickets to Riverdance to give away....the performers.....the committee members (Ian McKenna and Alex Lawson especially)....and the MANY volunteers who ensure that the event takes place!

Scotch Tasting with Andrew Hilton Wine and Spirits

THANK YOU to all of you and to those who attended! We promise more Scotch in 2012 and another night of fun so mark your calendar for Sat Jan 21st 2012!