Bagpipes, caber tosses and clan tents are filling Broken Arrow Events Park one final time this weekend, as Scotfest Oklahoma wraps up its 46th and last festival. The event runs Friday through Sunday, and organizers say they wanted to close out the tradition on their own terms rather than watch it fade.
Scotfest board member Steven Lambie, who was born in Scotland and moved to Tulsa about a decade ago, told KJRH, “We decided that we would rather go out with a bang than go out with people not coming anymore.” Lambie said ending the festival was a difficult call, but he and fellow organizers wanted this weekend to be a celebration rather than a send-off marked by mourning. He has said Scotfest helped him find both community and family after settling in Oklahoma, according to KTUL.
Scotfest traces its roots to 1980, when it launched to bring Scottish culture, competition, music and food to Green Country, per KJRH. Organizers estimate that roughly 40,000 Oklahomans can trace their ancestry back to Scotland, and the festival has long served as a gathering point for that heritage, per KTUL's reporting. This weekend's event features more than 40 Scottish clans, alongside Highland athletics, live music, bagpipes, Celtic rock, Scottish food and beer, whiskey tastings and children's activities.
Why Organizers Decided to Close the Books
In a post on its website titled One Last Scotfest, the organization wrote, “After 46 years of bringing Scottish culture to Oklahoma, this year will be the final Scotfest.” The group said virtually every major expense tied to running the event, including equipment, transportation, hotels, entertainment, labor, security and insurance, has climbed substantially since the festival began. Because Scotfest is entirely volunteer-run, with no owner or executive team drawing profits or large salaries, organizers said there was little cushion to absorb those rising costs.
The organizers also pointed to Oklahoma's unpredictable weather as a persistent obstacle for an outdoor festival. Per the same okscotfest.com post, many attendees wait until the last possible minute to buy tickets so they can check the forecast first, which organizers say leaves the festival short on the advance sales it needs to cover expenses that must be paid before the gates even open. According to the Broken Arrow Sentinel, the board considered raising ticket prices or scaling back the event to save money but ultimately opted against both approaches.
A Stolen Trailer Forced a Year Off
Scotfest did not run in 2025 after an event trailer carrying electronics, scaffolding, signage and other festival gear was stolen, according to the Broken Arrow Sentinel. The Sentinel reported the trailer and its contents were valued at $80,000 and that, as of its report, neither the items nor any suspects had been located. KJRH offered a different figure, reporting that thieves stole a trailer carrying $70,000 worth of festival items, with the trailer itself valued separately at $15,000. Both outlets agree the theft forced the 2025 cancellation, though their valuations of the loss differ.
What's Left on the Schedule This Weekend
Highland games at this year's festival include the caber toss, hammer throw, stone put and a sheaf toss using a pitchfork, per KJRH, while KTUL's reporting also notes hay bale and stone-throwing events among the competitions. Kids 12 and under get into Scotfest for free, according to KTSO, and organizers are encouraging visitors to buy tickets in advance through OK Tickets rather than at the gate.
The festival closes for good Sunday with a ceremony at 5:45 p.m. that KJRH reports will include a final parade, a singing of Auld Lang Syne and a traditional lone piper. For a festival that has spent 46 years introducing Green Country to caber tosses and clan heritage, it's a fittingly ceremonial way to lower the curtain in Broken Arrow.
