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| Participants clad in tartan and period dress from centuries past processed through the streets of Portsmouth to the sound of bagpipes and drums as a part of last year's annual Olde Towne Scottish Walk. (Amanda Lucier | File Photo The Virginian-Pilot) |
© December 30, 2010
By Joy Vann
Correspondent
Pull on your winter woolies and get ready to ring in the New Year Scottish-style with the 13th annual Olde Towne Scottish Walk in Portsmouth on Friday.
Revelers will gather at the corner of Queen and Washington streets for an old-fashioned holiday parade.
Founder and organizer Susan Cocke said this Scottish Walk was inspired by her family’s participation in Olde Towne Alexandria ’s Christmas Walk, which marked its 40th anniversary the first weekend of December. It’s based on the Scottish New Year’s Eve tradition called Hogmanay, a celebration of friends, family, hospitality, thanksgiving and well-wishing.
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| 13th Annual Olde Towne Scottish Walk |
Cocke started Portsmouth’s Scottish Walk in 1998, and she expects more than 2,000 people to participate. The event takes months of planning.
“There is much involved with contacting people outside of the area who come as tourists for this. We have people from California; Toronto; Canada; Washington, D.C.; and Baltimore who come every year,” she said. “ The musical pub/shop crawl that follows the event is the most fun, and needs more planning as musicians are asked to volunteer and coordinate with venues.”
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| The Olde Towne Scottish Walk is based on the Scottish New Year’s Eve tradition called Hogmanay, a celebration of friends, family, hospitality, thanksgiving and well-wishing. |
Participants will include Boy and Girl Scouts of America, church communities, dog walking groups, Scottish societies and musicians, including local and regional pipers and drummers. A highlight will be the singing of Robert Burns’ “Auld Lang Syne” accompanied by bagpipes.
Walkers can rest their feet at shops and restaurants after the parade when free Scottish music will be performed at venues including Roger Browns, Baron’s Pub, Griff’s, Gosport Tavern and Montgomery Grill. Cocke said that participating businesses such as Skipjack Nautical Wares will offer free cookies and cider.
The evening will be capped off with a lighted boat parade on the waterfront. Cocke said that wraps up the formal event, but folks will then likely go to restaurants or private houses to count down the year.
Cocke, who is “partly” Scottish, said she organizes the walk and boat parade as a display of gratitude.
“This is my gift to the city and merchants to thank them for their service in the past year and wish them success in the year to come – per tradition.”
Joy Vann, joyvann@cox.net
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Welcome to Olde Towne Portsmouth, Virginia's historic seaport and a major boating destination. We're located at Mile Marker "0' of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and directly across the river from Downtown Norfolk.