FERGUS – The sounds of bagpipes and drums echoed through downtown Fergus on Sunday as two local pipe bands marked National Tartan Day with an afternoon of performances.
Members of the Fergus Pipe Band and the Grand Celtic Pipe Band performed throughout the downtown, filling the area with traditional Scottish music.
Along the way, the bands stopped at a number of local establishments — including the Fergus Legion Branch 275, The Breadalbane Inn, The Outpost Bottle Shop, The Brewhouse on the Grand, and The Goofie Newfie — where patrons were treated to up-close performances before the bands continued along the street.
A highlight of the afternoon came when both groups gathered in front of the Fergus Grand Theatre for a joint performance.
The Tartan Day celebration is usually held on the first Sunday in April, but was moved this year since that date fell on Easter Sunday.
National Tartan Day traces its origins to Canada. In 1986, the Federation of Scottish Clans in Nova Scotia proposed creating a day to celebrate Scottish heritage through the public display of tartan and other cultural traditions.
