Middle Octorara Presbyterian Church will once again share and revel in Scottish culture with the Covenanter Scottish Festival and Highland Games on Saturday, Sept. 10, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The yearly celebration will feature a variety of events and informational offerings centered around Scottish history and culture, as well as Scottish immigrants and their role in American history. The festival will be held at the Middle Octorara Church campus, 1199 Valley Road, Quarryville.

Attendees of the festival will have an opportunity to experience games and activities such as the "caber toss", Scottish dancing and a bagpiping contest, where bagpipers perform before a panel of judges and have a chance to earn medals. The event will also feature a traditional haggis ceremony; information will be provided on the unique dish as it is served with Scotch whiskey. Before the end of the festival, a re-enactment of the Octorara Declaration of 1743 will occur, in which participants portray the day that Covenanters first gathered to deem King George II an unfit and ungodly ruler and take up arms. Each year, multiple descendants of Scottish clans attend the festival and set up stands to hand out information on their background and sell handmade goods. Vendors will offer both Scottish and American cuisine for purchase.

The church, which is the known as the oldest Covenanter church in North America, first began hosting the festival nine years ago as a means to raise money for the maintenance and restoration for the historic property. Proceeds benefit the Octorara Covenanter Presbyterian Foundation and various projects such as reworking old, hazardous wiring in the building and restoring the church to its state in 1880.

"The Covenanters were different in that they brought their pastors directly from Scotland and played a huge role in the Revolutionary War," said former Octorara Covenanter Presbyterian Foundation president Barry Girvin. "They derived their name from the many covenants that were broken by the British to make Presbyterianism the state religion. They came to America fleeing persecution and opposing the monarchy, so it was logical that they would become involved with the revolution." Girvin curates the school room museum, which is attached to the old church. The museum houses a collection of church materials and artifacts from the early days of the church, as well as a plethora of old documents and photographs from the many one-room schools that used to dot the landscape. Festival attendees will be able to tour the old church and museum, as well as access archived information and research their genealogy. "People who have relatives or ancestors that attended one of the old schools in the area can look up old pictures and information," said Girvin. "Anyone is welcome."

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit http://www.covenanterscottishfestival.com.