Proud member of the St. Petersburg International Folk Fair Society
Report on the Scottish Village at recent SPIFFS Folk Fairs
Our main event of the year is the SPIFFS Folk Fairs.
the 47th and 48th Folk Fairs took place in Albert Whitted Park in 2022 and 2023, and the 49th and 50th were in the Engand Brothers Park in Pinellas Park. The Scottish tent did a brisk business with the stamping of passports on the two school days. Each year students were asked to find out the answers to two questions to be included in their passports. They learned a few "Scottish" words, and also learned that in Scotland, 98.6% of the population speaks English, 30.1% speak Scots, and only 1.1% speak Scottish Gaelic. On posters in the tent there were examples of words and phrases in the Scots language and Scottish Gaelic.
Interested students were also given a short handout giving interesting information about Scotland and had a chance to identify tartan patterns associated with Scottish families and clans. Interest was shown to our cut out of Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster. One student assured us that he knew Nessie was Scottish because he had seen her on his trip to Scotland. Many were also attracted to the diorama of the Standing Stones of Callanish and the golf exhibit in the village. Finally, students were entertained in the tent by Virginia Thompson playing Scottish tunes on her violin.
Volunteers Gary and Ceilidh
Entertainment
Entertainment most years is providedi by Vifrginia Thompson on the violin, the Dunedin Country Dancers, and a variety of bagpipers. On both Saturdays and the wo school days Fair attendees were thrilled to see a white Scotty, Ceilidh (pronounced Kay-lee) dressed in a kilt riding in a wagon controlled by her sponsor, Gary Graham.
Volunteers
We appreciate the volunteers who help the Scottish village at the Folk Fair each year, and thank them for their efforts. These include Sara and Bill Adams, Ceilidh, Skip DeMontozon, April Gayle Gausman, Gary and Sylvia Graham, Rana Jetter, Bill Parsons, Kay Rencken, Jeff Wells, Virginia Thompson, and the Dunedin Country Dancers.
Volunteers April Gayle, Virginia, and Emily with Merida.
