TRAVERSE CITY -- -- Dressed in family plaids and traditional woolen kilts, members of the St. Andrews Society of Northwestern Michigan gathered Sunday to celebrate the birthday of Scotland's patron saint.
"It is a time to play bagpipes, make some noise and run around in our skirts," said Clyde Buchanan, bagpiper and member of the board.
The non-profit group that gathers four times each year to celebrate a shared Scottish history, culture, food and friendship, was formed in 1997 and includes more than 40 members from Cheboygan, Charlevoix, Wexford, Oakland, Antrim, Roscommon, Kalkaska, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Manistee and Leelanau counties.
In addition to the annual St. Andrews Day Dinner, Scottish roots are celebrated with a Highland Games gathering, an annual meeting and potluck dinner and an evening to commemorate poet Robert Burns.
"It is just nice to get together," said Joseph Brown, of Traverse City, who traces his family's heritage back to Scotland and Ireland.
"I'm so full of Celtic blood, I enjoy talking to others who are too," he said.
Fourteen-year-old Jessica Hradek, who has been a member of a Celtic dance group for more than half her life, shares Brown's interest in all things Scottish.
"It makes it cool when you are Scottish and you do this dancing that is so unique," Hradek said.
For more information on the St. Andrews Society of Northwestern Michigan, visit www.sasnm.org
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