By Theresa Knapp

The public is invited to the Scottish Highland Games on Fino Field on June 15 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine. 

More than 100 athletes from all over New England, the United States, and Canada to compete in two separate competitions: Highland Games Heavy Athletics with all nine traditional events, and Team Highlander.

 

The Heavy Athletics events include, in traditional order: Braemar, Open Stone (like Shotput), Heavy Weight for Distance, Light Weight for Distance, Heavy Scottish Hammer, Light Scottish Hammer, Caber Toss, Weight Over Bar, and Sheaf Toss.

The Team Highlander competition will include teams from the best barbell clubs and gyms from New England who will compete in a more strongman style competition, and will start with a Truck Pull. 

 

The event is run by No Fame Games in Milford and is essentially “track and field meets strong-man in kilts with centuries of deeply rooted history and culture,” says founder Joshua Mackintosh. “This is not something you see every day, and right in our own backyard.” 

“This will be the largest Highland Athletic Event in New England,” he said. “It's special, fun, family-friendly, and healthy. Also, youth athletes and adults alike get a chance to see world-class caliber and world record holding professional athletes compete, in person, right in front of them. They can meet and talk to them. It's not like the NFL, or NBA, or NHL, although these athletes are just as magnificent, athletic, and talented. It's engaging and alive.”

The day will begin with an opening ceremony with traditional bagpipes; representatives from Scottish Clans who will share their Celtic history and lineage; and more. 

Other aspects of this family-friend event include: 

-  Youth “Try It” stations, including Kids Sheaf, Caber, Stone 'Put' (like shotput), and Weight Over Bar; 

-  Playground area for kids that parents can self-supervise while keeping them entertained; 

-  Truck pull; 

-  Local food and coffee trucks;

-  and much more. 

This is the fourth year of the event which started as a grassroots backyard movement during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

“We were all missing throwing given how long the pandemic was at the time,” said Mackintosh, who himself started throwing in the Highland Games in 2018. “A few of us got together to practice and it naturally spawned into, ‘Hey, what if we had a 'backyarder' games?’ - a 'Backyarder' is a very casual, simplified Highland Games that just focuses on the 'Heavy Events' or athletics. 

“We started a larger group chat and when coming up with a name, we all liked ‘No Fame Games’…The first Home Games in Milford was in the summer of 2021, and we've been growing very rapidly ever since. We were one of the largest Highland athletic events in the nation last year with over 120 athletes coming from all over the country.’ 

He said they have had a world record broken on Fino Field every year so far, including World Champions who can throw stones and weights distances that only a handful of people have ever done in history. 

These games continue, Mackintosh said, due to numerous volunteers, including his wife Jennfer Yarro, and the No Fame Games team. 

“We do this for our heritage, health, the community, and also because there is a power to giving back. We do this because it is the right thing to do, because things die out when people do not step up to keep them alive. This is something we wanted to teach our son by showing him directly. When people come and see Home Games, they will feel what I'm trying to explain. It's ancient, yet as relevant as ever today.” 

For more information, visit www.nofamegames.com. Entry fee is $10 per person, $20 per family. Lawn chairs encouraged.