Tartan Day in Balboa Park, San Diego

[FossilHunter]

This was my first time attending a tartan day celebration but I decided to do it since the San Diego Highland Games were cancelled this year.

There were pipes and dancing and was a fun time.

[Jock Scot]

This was my first time attending a tartan day celebration but I decided to do it since the San Diego Highland Games were cancelled this year.

There were pipes and dancing and was a fun time.

You are coming along nicely there, old chap!

[FossilHunter]

You are coming along nicely there, old chap!

Thanks! You might get a kick out of my tie pattern.

[OC Richard]

Thanks for posting that! Your outfit looks great.

I didn't know they did a Tartan Day thing at Balboa Park.

In any case such things aren't possible for me because Tartan Day happens to also be my wife's birthday.

It's sad that they cancelled the San Diego Games. I've been attending those since the late 1970s.

I just looked it up at if I did my maths correctly those Games started in 1975. I didn't realise how new they were at the time!

[FossilHunter]

Thanks for posting that! Your outfit looks great.

I didn't know they did a Tartan Day thing at Balboa Park.

In any case such things aren't possible for me because Tartan Day happens to also be my wife's birthday.

It's sad that they cancelled the San Diego Games. I've been attending those since the late 1970s.

I just looked it up at if I did my maths correctly those Games started in 1975. I didn't realise how new they were at the time!

I’m not sure how long they’ve had the tartan day. I actually don’t remember how I heard about it. It may have been a random suggestion in my Facebook feed.

If you’re familiar with balboa park, it was hosted by the House of Scotland over where the International Houses are. One of the pipe bands was the House of Scotland Pipe Band and the other was the Helix High School Pipe Band.

What’s funny is that, as Balboa Park is a big tourist destination, I was asked to be photographed by several tourists! I suppose it’s a little bit of what kilted Scots experience when they’re near the Royal mile but it was a novel idea experience for myself.

The House of England was doing a brisk business in tea sales as well. I’m a little jealous that they have a cardboard cutout of the King but House of Scotland doesn’t have the same in a kilted version. ;)

[FossilHunter]

Weather was pretty nice. Though that’s usually the case in Balboa Park.

[Jock Scot]

Thanks! You might get a kick out of my tie pattern.

I seem to recall in the dim and distant past, that I had a similar tie. Sadly, I wore it out!

[jsrnephdoc]

Thanks! You might get a kick out of my tie pattern.

I'm jealous. "Permitted" to wear club ties that would sport decorating embroidery of a Bantam Rooster or an English Bulldog by the initials that can follow my name (issued by stodgy New England educational institutions), and being informed by Jock that THAT was what I should aspire to, I went in search for same and discovered that NEITHER of those institutions' souvenir collections available at their bookstores even BOTHERS to sell ANY neckties any more. Maybe it's emblematic of the frailty and transitory nature of American culture.

[FossilHunter]

I'm jealous. "Permitted" to wear club ties that would sport decorating embroidery of a Bantam Rooster or an English Bulldog by the initials that can follow my name (issued by stodgy New England educational institutions), and being informed by Jock that THAT was what I should aspire to, I went in search for same and discovered that NEITHER of those institutions' souvenir collections available at their bookstores even BOTHERS to sell ANY neckties any more. Maybe it's emblematic of the frailty and transitory nature of American culture.

I have a small collection of British country ties. Some have hunting dogs on them, others, game birds. I’d probably class the. As less formal ties. I might not wear them to a wedding. Kilted or otherwise.

The club/repp/regimental tie tradition seems to be pretty unique to the UK and commonwealth. Not that you don’t see them in the US but they’re not nearly as common. I ran into the same issue as you with my own university and ended up buying a striped tie in the university’s colors until I finally found one with the athletics team logo in a club style. They seem to be more common with more august institutions whereas I went to a public state university. College athletic logos seem to be more common on ties from the US.

I’ll post my examples when I get home later today.

[OC Richard]

I just looked up House of Scotland Pipe Band, very impressive!

https://www.houseofscotland.org/pipe-band.html

A few familiar faces (the older folks) but also a great contingent of young players so the future is bright.

Isn't that the San Diego tartan? I've seen it up close, a kilt beautifully pleated to the stripe, it's a striking tartan.

As best I recall...we're talking 50 years ago...they were, at that time, the Loud MacLeod pipe band, wearing the yellow Allen Brothers "MacLeod" tartan.