Radford Highlanders Festival

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Radford University

The Radford Highlanders Festival is scheduled for Oct. 11, 2025, and will feature:

• The famed heavyweight games
• Sheepherding
• Live entertainment
• Food
• Vendors, and festivities for all ages

The festival is a partnership between Radford University and the City of Radford, Virginia.

Whether a family’s background is of Scots-Irish origin or of other descent, the day always brings with it an air of excitement and anticipation. There is no place more beautiful than Southwest Virginia in the fall, and the Blue Ridge Mountains provide a beautiful backdrop for the fall festival.

The Radford Highlanders Festival has grown into one of the most popular tourist destinations in the region. The festival began in the mid-1990s with an approximate crowd of 3,000. Over the past 25 years, the festival has more than tripled in size and now attracts an estimated crowd of 10,000 people.

Clan and Society Information

The Clan is a concept which dates back to the 12th century, which were extended networks of families who had loyalties to a particular chief. The word clan is derived from the Gaelic 'clann', meaning children.

Today, the Radford Highlanders Festival provides descendants of area clans and society's an opportunity to register and proudly showcase their family's heritage, as well as delight lovers of all ages with heavyweight games, music, entertainment, food and Celtic fun.  Clan and society registration will be available soon

The festival is open to the general public with free admission. Check our website for a schedule of events coming soon.