Tartan Day brings the Highlands home
Pittsburgh Tartan Day 2025 was a perfect 10. Even the weather cooperated.
“We’re sort of far away from Scotland, but it feels like we’re in the midst of it,” said Sarah Bradford. “The weather certainly is just perfect.”
Pam Maniet agreed.
“It’s kind of like being in Scotland because it’s raining like it does there. The rain makes it like Scotland.”
The sprinkles did nothing to dampen the spirits of those celebrating the national holiday for Americans of Scottish descent for back in 1998, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution declaring April 6 as Tartan Day throughout the country. On that date in 1320, Scotland declared its sovereignty over England’s territorial claims.
The Saturday closest to the declaration date is traditionally celebrated with festivals and parades. For 10 years, Bethel Park has observed the event with bagpipes, music, dancing, demonstrations and food at the Bethel Presbyterian Church.
“The church was founded by a Scottish minister so it’s appropriate we celebrate Tartan Day here since it was founded by a Scott,” explained Maniet, chairperson of the event.
Maniet noted how the celebration has grown from a few vendors and one grandstand to the use of the entire church, including its two stages, sanctuary, meeting rooms and auditorium.
“In a blink of an eye, the years have flown by and we have grown so much,” Maniet said. “It’s just been amazing and unbelievable.”
This year, Tartan Day featured eight clans and five vendors, including Ross Family Farm from 84. “The most we’ve ever had,” Maniet said.
Additionally there were six workshops. In addition to the traditional piping and drumming demonstration by Sean Patrick Regan and Ian McLeod along with Celtic symbol drawing, as well as interpretation and origins of Scottish names by Jack Webber, Ruthanne E. Ankney expounded upon Scottish wheat and straw weaving traditions. The newcomer also shared traditional Scottish family and children’s songs.
“For the young and young at heart,” Maniet said. “Everything is interweaved and that’s what I think is wonderful. My Scottish heritage beams me with pride, especially when I see the crowds here enjoying themselves.”
Susan Gillis Kruman, who greeted guests, enjoyed everything about the day’s activities.
“I’m Scottish, so I think this event is terrific,” she said. “It’s always fun to come together and gather with people, and since Scots have always been interested in ancestry, they have clan tables in the back where people can research their family name. So that’s fun, too.”
Drew Manko enjoyed having a front-row seat to enjoy the entertainment. His display of skeins of wool shorn from the sheep on Washington County’s oldest Scottish farm was strategically positioned outside the auditorium where they could watch the entertainment featured on the main stage.
“I’m in a better spot this year,” said Manko, who was delighted to share the tradition of sheep farming as it pertains to his Scottish heritage. “I’m happy to get to watch all the pipers and drummers and other performers.”
The Balmoral Pipes and Drums kicked off the festivities. Steel Clover and Co. as well as Michael Flaherty performed Celtic Music. The MacDonald Pipe Band closed out the show.
Denise Marie Lupinacci was thrilled to hear those tones.
“From the first time I heard bagpipes, I loved Scotland and Scottish things,” she said.
Lupinacci was so smitten that she wrote a series of books about the country. Her novels range from historical fiction to romance fantasies. She relied on “imagination” and plenty of “research” to compose her stories and was pleasantly surprised how true-to-life her books were after she took a trip to Scotland.
“I visited all the places that were in the books and it was all that I had imagined,” she said. “I loved the Isle of Sky. That was my favorite because one of my books was based there.”
Tartan Day has inspired her to write more. She is currently writing a sequel to “The Highlander’s Bride Returns” and hopes to return for next year’s event.
In addition to bagpipes, George White, Pint and A Half, RichPatrick and Road to the Isles offered traditional and contemporary Celtic and Scottish songs as well as vocals and instrumentals on flute, guitar, tin whistle and fiddle on the sanctuary stage.
The Ringgold Harp and String Ensemble, however, brought the house down in front of a standing-room-only crowd on the main stage.
“When I was 3 or 4, I heard the bagpipes for the first time and thought that was the most fascinating thing,” said Bradford. “It seems to me to be a spiritual sound and it just makes me feel really warm inside and happy. Even if the song is a lament, it’s still beautiful to me.
“That Ringgold group, too,” Bradford added. “Comes with dulcimers, violins (fiddles) and all these different instruments, and I thought ‘Wow, that’s amazing.’ They do a really fantastic job.”
Melanie Sandrock directs the Ringgold Harp and String Ensemble. She taught music in the Ringgold School District for 49 years before retiring last June. Currently, she is a substitute in the South Park School District in the elementary center.
Approximately two decades ago, then-principal Jeff Matty asked Sandrock to teach the harp as a class. Eventually, a string band was created at Ringgold. Since then the group has blossomed into a student/adult ensemble that entertains at a variety of events around the region.
Noting the group’s repertoire is different than its normal program because it’s mostly Scottish and Celtic music, Sandrock said the group has performed at Tartan Day since its inception.
“We are musicians and we love sharing music and playing for people,” she said. “It’s always a wonderful event and being here in the South Hills adds that extra sparkle. The venue, all the exhibits, the entertainment and food. It’s just a perfect place for Tartan Day.”
Tartan Day was also the perfect place to learn history. Exhibitors displayed antique weapons, battlefields complete with miniature Scottish toy soldiers and explained maneuvers as well as demonstrated the use of swordsmanship.
“That gentleman gave me a history lesson I haven’t had in 20 years, and I enjoyed every minute of it,” said Robert Connelly of Mt. Lebanon. “He was very knowledgeable. He knew what he was talking about and he had some authentic pieces that I’ve never seen before.”
Arthus Fairweather, who was visiting from Virginia, attended Tartan Day with his friend, Richard Hughes.
“This is wonderful,” Fairweather said. “I’m a big military history fan. So this was quite a treat for me.”
Tartan Day was a way to spend a Saturday with family. The Ryan clan from Eighty Four enjoyed all the demonstrations as well as lunch as they gathered up information for a trip to Scotland in the summer.
As siblings Sawyer and Finnegan plucked a harp and her husband, Matt, watched, Sara said they were interested in coming to the event because of their upcoming travels. “It was good to come here since I will be going to Scotland.
“We wanted to see a lot of the entertainment, hear the music and see some of the bands perform, look at the exhibits and have lunch. It’s been a really exciting day.”
Bradford agreed. Because there is so much to see and so many events, attendees needed a game plan to tackle it all.
“You really have to figure out what you want to do and see because there are so many things here. People really care about representing (their heritage). Everybody is friendly and it’s nice to see older people as well as younger children learning about their heritage. It’s just a wonderful thing.”
Elizabeth Pentin, who was selling gently worn tartans as a fundraiser for the St. Andrew’s Society of Pittsburgh, agreed.
“It’s a great event, and it’s nice to see so many people come out on a rainy day.”