As millions of fans anticipate the new season of the popular Starz Network’s TV series Outlander, a local festival
is being planned that will feature the same subject matter, eighteenth century Highland Scots. The Carolina
Caledonian Fest http://caledonianfest.com will take place at Lu Mil Vineyard in Dublin, NC on October 28-30,
2016.
Caledonia is the name given to Scotland by the Romans when they occupied Britain, and according to the event’s
producer, more than the name will differentiate this event from other Scottish festivals. Allen McDavid of AKA
Entertainment & Media says, “The focus of the new festival will be the history and heritage of the Gaelic speak-
ing Highlanders who settled NC’s Cape Fear Region, not the customary and farcical portrayal of Highland
culture. The Carolina Caledonian Fest’s goal of historical accuracy will be aided by the participation of Dr.
Michael Newton, Gaelic scholar and author, along with the Scottish Gaelic Foundation of the USA (SGF-USA),
which will be a financial beneficiary from event proceeds.
About the Argyll Colony
In 1739, a group of 350 emigrants from Argyllshire, Scotland arrived in Wilmington, NC and settled along the
banks of the Cape Fear River, all the way to present day Sanford, NC. Their settlement was called the Argyll
Colony and it was the most significant assemblage of Gaels in America. Over the next 100 years historical
estimates say that 160,000 eventually came to NC. The Scot’s new largest communities, Campbellton and Cross
Creek merged to become Fayetteville.
Thousands of descendants of the Argyll Colony still reside in the Cape Fear area today. Names like Campbell,
McLeod, McDonald and McNeill are but a few that can be tracked back to strong, resourceful, independent and
proud people of the Colony. All of those descendants are encouraged by McDavid and Ron Taylor, owner of Lu
Mil Vineyard, to use the Carolina Caledonian Festival as a backdrop for creating a new family tradition.
McDavid of AKA Entertainment & Media, a Greensboro-based event production company, stresses that his
festival’s inspiration is based on his familial ties to the Argyll Colony’s founders, not Diana Gabaldon’s books.
“I think it is great that her work is telling some of the real history of the eighteenth century Highland Scots’ says
McDavid, ‘Ms. Gabaldon has wished us well in our endeavor.”
Being related to those early Scots is not a prerequisite to coming to the festival. Everyone with any Scottish roots
or interest in Scottish culture is encouraged to come and enjoy the festivities. Speaking of festivities, the festival
will offer attendees entertainment that includes living history reenactments, Celtic music acts, Scottish comp-
etitions, genealogical offerings, food, whiskey tastings and much more. Tent and RV camping is available on-
site in addition to nine beautiful cabins for rent. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed in eighteenth century
attire, whether it be Scottish, Colonial American, British or other. Admission tickets for the festival can be pur-
chased in advance online at www.CaledonianFest.com
Why Lu Mil Vineyard?
During the days of the Argyll Colony, Bladen County (the “Mother County” and home to Lu Mil Vineyard)
included the Cross Creek settlement within its borders. Now that portion of Bladen County is a part of
Cumberland County. So, it’s only fitting that Bladen County play host to the festival. The vineyard thrives with
acres of bountiful fields overflowing with lush Muscadine grape vines adjoining rolling hills covered by green
lawns and beautiful pines. Situated just outside the little town of Dublin (We know, but it’s still Celtic), Lu Mil
Vineyard is a virtual paradise: The perfect location for a Scottish festival. McDavid thinks that the 3-day festival
will draw participants from several states away and attendees from at least a 100-mile radius, many who will
spend at least one night in the area. “We want to have a positive cultural and economic impact on Bladen County
and the surrounding area for years to come,” says McDavid.
About AKA Entertainment & Media
Allen McDavid, and AKA Entertainment & Media are both well known around the state, having produced
festivals as far west as Asheville and as far east as Wilmington. AKA’s Premier BBQ series included festivals in
Greensboro, Wilmington and Winston-Salem. Collectively, it is second only to the Lexington Barbecue Festival
in attendance and has been featured in “Bon Appetit” Magazine and on MarthaStewart.com. In recognition of the
success of his ArtsAlive! Series in downtown Greensboro Allen was named one of “20 who shaped the Triad arts
scene in 2003” by GoTriad. In 2004 Mystic Karnival was named one of the “Top 10 new cultural events in the
Triad” by GoTriad. AKA’s 2006 Eden RiverFest was recognized by the NC Department of Commerce Main
Street Program, as the “Best Downtown Festival of 2006”.
About Scottish Gaelic Foundation of the USA
Scottish Gaelic is enjoying expanded attention in the United States at present due to its representation in popular
culture, such as in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander. This need not be merely a matter of escapism and fantasy,
however. Understanding the legacy of Highland immigrants and reflecting on it critically gives us a lens through
which to reflect on contemporary issues and challenges, from the treatment of refugees and the poor to the
policies of forced assimilation and cultural genocide. Not only individuals but communities and ethnic groups
have rights regarding their linguistic and cultural heritage. These rights need to be acknowledged and valued.
In our view, the foundation’s inaugural campaign should be to raise funds to endow a chair of Scottish Gaelic
Studies at an appropriate American university where a program of study could be developed. No such academic
infrastructure exists or is planned in the United States. Efforts to legitimate and represent Gaelic as a salient
element of our national story and to support a contemporary ethnic identity worthy of attention and patronage
will be deficient without a sound basis in scholarship to articulate a mature understanding of the history of the
Scottish Gaelic diaspora. This is a logical first step.