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The Big Apple Turns Tartan for Annual Week-Long Scot Fest Ellis Island, Grand Central Station, and Central Park To Serve As Key Event Locations New York City is once again preparing to host an event-filled week of exhibits, fashion shows, dinners, and a parade to usher in Tartan Week in Manhattan. In addition to Clan Currie’s annual observance of Tartan Day at the Ellis Island Immigration Museum and the opening of their exhibit on John Muir, New York Tartan Week will again offer something for everyone. One of the many New York events is the Scottish Village that will rise up like the mythical village of “Brigadoon” in Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Station. Produced by VisitScotland, the Village will be appearing April 1 – 10, attracting a potential audience of 500,000 people per day. This free public event is a celebration of everything Scottish. Visitors will be welcomed into the Scottish Village where they can experience all the wonderful aspects of modern and traditional Scottish life. It will feature eight different “zones” – tourism, golf, food and drink, heritage, our great places (local authorities), business and technology (Scottish Development International), learning (the universities and the Scottish Executive) and the place to live (the Scottish Executive’s ‘new talent’ initiative) A host of live events will be taking place, including music, fashion shows, culinary exhibitions, dance and genealogy talks.
The following is a listing of some of the key events making up New York Tartan Week 2005: April 1, 2005 – National Tartan Day on Ellis Island – New York
The Clan Currie Society returns to Ellis Island for their annual observance of National Tartan Day. Opening ceremonies for their new exhibit, “The Life and Legacy of John Muir,” are scheduled for 11:00 AM. Invited guests include New York Mayor, the Hon. Michael Bloomberg, Scottish Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, Patricia Ferguson, the Rt. Hon. Leslie Hinds, Lord Provost, City of Edinburgh, and VisitScotland Chairman, Peter Lederer, CBE. The Clan Currie Society graciously acknowledges VisitScotland’s generous assistance in sponsoring “The Life and Legacy of John Muir.” The exhibit traces his remarkable life journey from his days exploring the moors, mountains, and shoreline surrounding his childhood home in Scotland, to his lasting legacy as America’s first passionate conservationist and the father of the American national parks. Clan Currie is also producing a documentary video on Muir’s remarkable life for screening later this year. The Ellis Island ceremonies will include performances by pipers and highland dancers, a screening of Clan Currie’s award-winning documentary film, “The Crafter’s Song,” and the announcement of the 2005 Tartan Day Award winner. The exhibit on John Muir will remain on display through May 2005. For complete information, click here.
April 2, 2005 – Tartan Day Parade – Sixth Avenue, New York The New York City Tartan Day Parade will take place at 2:00 PM. The parade steps-off at West 45th Street, marching north on the Avenue of the Americas to 58th Street. Over 1000 marchers including pipe bands and Scots organizations will are scheduled to march in the 7th annual parade. Honorary Grand Marshall for the parade will be best-selling author, director, and screenwriter, Randall Wallace. Wallace has brought to page and screen epic tales of love and war showcasing heroes admired for their determination loyalty, and bravery. None of these is better known than Braveheart, for which he received both Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations and won the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay. For further information, visit: www.tartanweek.com.
April 5, 2005 – Icons of Scotland Dinner – Waldorf Astoria Hotel, New York Scotland Magazine’s Icons of Scotland dinner acknowledges those Scots and American Scots who have made the greatest contribution to the world in the year. The evening will feature a leading chef flown in direct from Scotland to prepare the evening, great music from the heart of Scotland, and a dazzling location at Starlight Room of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. For further information, visit: www.scotlandmag.com. April 6, 2005 – British Memorial Garden – Hanover Square, New York With pipers piping and Scottish tenors singing, Tartan Day will be celebrated in Hanover Square, future home of the British Memorial Garden. Starting at 11:45 AM, the celebration will begin with a pipe band playing traditional Scots tunes. The ceremony will continue with remarks from Commissioner William T. Castro, City of New York Parks & Recreation. Commissioner Castro will receive a symbolic brick of Caithness stone from the Scottish Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, Patricia Ferguson. Following the presentation, there will be a performance by the Caledon, Scotland’s Three Tenors. Also in attendance will be the garden’s Honorary Patron, Sir Philip Thomas, KCVO, CMG, British Consul-General in New York.
The British Memorial Garden, which is a gift to the City and people of New York, will honor the 67 British victims of the World Trade Center attacks while also celebrating the unity and friendship between the United States and the United Kingdom. For further information, visit: www.britishmemorialgarden.org.
April 6, 2005 – Dressed to Kilt – The Copacabana, 560 West 34th Street, New York A star-studded evening of fashion and fun hosted by Sir Sean and Lady Connery. While focusing on fashion, Dressed to Kilt does much more; it promotes 'all things Scottish' and is a showcase for the principle that 'Made in Scotland' is a benchmark of the very best in the world. The Clan Currie Society is proud to be a sponsor of this exciting and colorful event. Proceeds from the evening benefit Friends of Scotland, a national non-profit corporation dedicated to advancing contemporary Scottish interests and meeting contemporary Scottish needs in the United States. For further information, visit: www.dressedtokilt.com. April 7, 2005 – Whisky Live – Tavern on the Green, Central Park, New York Whisky Live gives you the unique opportunity to sample the greatest whiskies in the world, whilst mingling with the producers and distillers, marketers and visitor centre staff, all under one roof. In addition to learning about the world of whisky, you have the opportunity to sample rare and sought after whiskies and meet the stars of the industry. For further information, visit: www.whiskylive.com. About National Tartan Day National Tartan Day is an American celebration that recognizes the contributions of Scots and Scottish-Americans to the development of the United States. In 1998 the U.S. Senate passed a resolution recognizing April 6 as National Tartan Day in recognition of "the outstanding contribution of millions of Scots-Americans to our great nation." The date commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320, which was an influence on the American Declaration of Independence. Almost half of the signatories on the Declaration of Independence were of Scottish descent, while three-quarters of U.S. presidents have been of Scottish ancestry. About The Clan Currie Society The Clan Currie Society, an American-based, international, non-profit cultural and educational organization, is active in preserving and promoting highland heritage at Scottish Games, ethnic festivals, as well as community groups and classrooms. The Society has over 2,000 members worldwide that gather via the Society’s website (www.clancurrie.com). The organization started as a family name society in Glasgow, Scotland in 1959 to further the knowledge and appreciation of the MacMhuirich bardic dynasty. The MacMhuirichs (the Gaelic name for Currie) served for over 700 years as professional poets to the Lords of the Isles and later to the MacDonalds of Clanranald. The Red Book of Clanranald, one of Gaelic Scotland’s literary treasures, was penned by successive generations of the MacMhuirich family. Today, the organization is a leading American-based foundation that focuses on celebrating the Scots-Gaelic origins of the Currie name as well as producing outstanding programs and events to honor Scotland’s rich culture and ancestry. For additional information about Clan Currie and the Ellis Island Tartan Day observance and John Muir exhibit, contact the Clan Currie Society at (908) 273-3509, via e-mail at clancurrie@mail.com or by visiting their Web site at www.clancurrie.com.
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