named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Central New York Scottish Games & Celtic Festival
Annual event featuring solo and band piping and drumming competitions, Highland dancing, heavy athletics, children's games, Celtic vendors, food, and clan gatherings; sanctioned by the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association.
MacNeill Scholarship Program
Offers annual scholarships to individuals promoting Scottish and Celtic heritage; awarded via random drawing from applicants.
Volunteer Program
Engages community members as Weekend Warriors or Committee Members to help plan and run the festival, with opportunities in vendor coordination, hospitality, tech, and event management.
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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Irish and Scottish Cultural Performance & Instruction 4 activities
- Host Highland dancing competitions and recognition eventsConducts competitive Highland dancing events with trophies awarded across multiple skill categories and recognizes top performers, including naming a Dancer of the Day. These events are part of the annual CNY Scottish Games & Celtic Festival.
- Host heavy athletics competitions with public participationOrganizes traditional Scottish heavy athletics events including Braemar Stone, Open Stone, Caber toss, Sheaf toss, Weight over bar, Heavy weight for distance, and Light weight for distance, offering novice-level participation and hands-on activities for children and audience members.
- Host sanctioned bagpipe and drumming competitionsOrganizes and hosts sanctioned musical competitions for solo pipers and drummers across all amateur grades and for pipe bands in Grades 5, 4, and 3, including solo events and massed band performances twice daily. The competitions highlight Celtic drumming and piping traditions as part of the annual festival.
- Organize and host annual Highland Games and Celtic FestivalHosts a full-day, family-friendly Scottish and Celtic cultural festival annually at Long Branch Park in Syracuse, NY, featuring competitions in solo piping, drumming, pipe bands, Highland dancing, and heavy athletics, along with children's games, live entertainment, Celtic-themed vendors and food, and participation from Scottish clans and heritage societies. The event has been held for 83 years and welcomes over 5,000 attendees annually.
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Local High School Scholarship Programs 1 activity
- Award scholarships and participant grantsOffers a scholarship opportunity for the 2026 cycle and awards $100 scholarships to participants through a random drawing, as part of its educational and community support initiatives.
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Irish and Celtic Cultural Preservation 1 activity
- Operate Scottish Cultural Tent and host heritage societiesProvides space and programming through a Scottish Cultural Tent and hosts participation from 16 Scottish clans and heritage societies at the annual CNY Scottish Games & Celtic Festival to promote cultural education and engagement.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Offer patron packages for festival attendeesProvides enhanced festival experiences through patron packages that include admission, preferred seating under a tent, dedicated restrooms, parking, refreshments, meals, and recognition in event materials.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$112K
Contributions & grants$6K6%
Program service revenue$106K94%
Investment income$1330%
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$91K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits—
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$99K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$97K
2 years on record · 2023–2024 · YoY revenue +43.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
board members · 3
- CHRISTOPHER MORRISON — DIRECTOR
- COLLEEN NICHOLSON — DIRECTOR
- JAMES ENGLE — DIRECTOR
relationships · 26
Who they work with
- CNY Galloglass Society Partner — Participating society at the CNY Scottish Games & Celtic Festival
- Clan Barclay Partner — Participating clan at the CNY Scottish Games & Celtic Festival
- Clan Davidson Partner — Participating clan at the CNY Scottish Games & Celtic Festival
- Clan Donnachaidh Partner — Participating clan at the CNY Scottish Games & Celtic Festival
- Clan Douglas Partner — Founded by members of Clan Douglas, which originally organized the Scottish Games before incorporation.
- Clan Gregor Partner — Collaborates with Clan Gregor by featuring the MacGregor tartan and providing informational links about the clan.
- Clan Hay Society Partner — Participating society at the CNY Scottish Games & Celtic Festival
- Clan Keith USA Partner — Participating clan at the CNY Scottish Games & Celtic Festival
- Clan MacGillivray Society USA Partner — Participating society at the CNY Scottish Games & Celtic Festival
- Clan MacLeod Society Partner — Participating clan at the CNY Scottish Games & Celtic Festival
- Clan MacNeill Association of America Partner — Participating clan at the CNY Scottish Games & Celtic Festival
- Clan Morrison Partner — Participating clan at the CNY Scottish Games & Celtic Festival
- Clan Ross Partner — Participating clan at the CNY Scottish Games & Celtic Festival
- Clan Sinclair Partner — Participating clan at the CNY Scottish Games & Celtic Festival
- Clan Thompson Society Partner — Participating society at the CNY Scottish Games & Celtic Festival
- Clan Young Partner — Participating clan at the CNY Scottish Games & Celtic Festival
- Daughters of Scotia Partner — Participating heritage society at the CNY Scottish Games & Celtic Festival
- Eastern United States Pipe Band Association Partner — Collaborates with EUSPBA to structure pipe band competitions by grade level.
- Eastern United States Pipe Band Association Partner — Sanctions bagpipe and drumming competitions at the CNY Scottish Games.
- House of Gordon Partner — Participating clan at the CNY Scottish Games & Celtic Festival
- Massed Band Partner — Athletes pause competition to march in the parade with the massed band
- Not specified Partner — Partners with an unspecified organization to administer the scholarship program.
- Onondaga County Government — Uses Onondaga Lake Park, a recreation area developed through investment by Onondaga County.
- Order of Scottish Clans Network — Member organization granted charter by the Royal Clan of the Order of Scottish Clans in 1945.
- Signup Genius Partner — Uses Signup Genius platform to coordinate volunteer sign-ups for the event.
- State of New York Government — Uses Onondaga Lake Park, a recreation area developed through investment by the State of New York.
strategies · 1
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Cultural Preservation Through Authentic Tradition and Community Participationmethodology: cultural_preservation_through_traditionBy modeling events on traditional Highland Games in Scotland and engaging Scottish clans and heritage societies as core participants, the organization preserves and promotes authentic Scottish and Celtic cultural traditions, because community-driven involvement and historical fidelity strengthen cultural continuity and public engagement.