Itasca celebrates kilts, haggis and all things Scottish

You can spend most of the summer in Itasca and it's a pretty good bet you won't find many guys wearing kilts.

T-shirts? Yeah. Baggy shorts? Absolutely. Cubs hats? For sure.

But kilts? Not so much.

There is, of course, one exception: this weekend at Hamilton Lakes, where all sorts of guys are showing off all sorts of legs during the 30th annual Scottish Festival and Highland Games.

Look around and you'll probably spot more guys bopping around in kilts than in an entire season of “Outlander.”

The annual bash, which opened Friday and continues from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday at 1 Pierce Place, features all things Scottish, from live entertainment to food to music to games.

In addition to all those kilts, you'll also see a lot of haggis. If you don't already know what haggis is, we won't spoil your breakfast.

But suffice to say there will be haggis-eating contests and even a haggis hurling contest (no pun intended), where women will throw frozen bags of the stuff while balancing on a whiskey half barrel.

Then it'll be back to burly men in kilts competing in games you probably haven't slated for your backyard picnic, including throwing hammers, weights and things that look like telephone poles.

Walk around the grounds Saturday and you'll also find a dog show, featuring breeds with ties to Scotland; a British car show; highland dance demonstrations; and perhaps even a Clydesdale.

The party is sponsored by Chicago Scots, part of the Chicago-based Illinois St. Andrew Society, which operates a senior home and soon-to-open memory care facility in North Riverside.

Tickets on Saturday are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and $5 for kids ages 3 to 12. Parking is $5.

For details, visit scottishfestivalchicago.org.