Chapter 2 - HOME:The Maxville Fairgrounds

Tradition: A Story From Glengarry
Jul 29
2 min read

Updated: Aug 3

"HOME: The Maxville Fairgrounds" Where the Journey Began

By Mikey Lalonde

When we think of the Glengarry Highland Games, or the history of the Maxville fairgrounds we often picture the noise—the music, the cheers, the dancers, the cabers crashing to the ground. For many of us, it's a second HOME, it’s the sound of summer, of community, and of tradition. But during the pandemic, for the first time in the Games’ history, those sounds disappeared.

Chapter 2 of Tradition: A Story from Glengarry may be the second episode in the series, but in many ways, this is where it all began.

During the pandemic, I visited the Maxville Fairgrounds with a camera and a simple idea: to capture what happens to a place that means everything when no one can be there. I was met by a few local volunteers who generously offered to show me around the empty grounds and share how this quiet corner of Eastern Ontario became a mecca for all things Celtic.

What was supposed to be a quick little video turned into something much bigger—something that would unexpectedly launch what now feels may turn into decade-long journey (lol).

The result of that visit is HOME—a quiet, reflective chapter about the place that holds the beating heart of Glengarry’s identity. This story isn’t just about how the Glengarry Highland Games came to be—it’s about the soul of the Games: the volunteers who keep the fairgrounds ready year after year, the history etched into every corner, and the deep sense of belonging that brings over 20,000 people “home” each summer.

Like the series itself, this chapter began as a way to understand a cultural celebration. But what I’ve come to realize is that the Glengarry Highland Games are not just about kilts and pipes. They’re about the people of Glengarry. About what they’ve built, what they’ve preserved, and how they’ve passed it on with care and pride.

HOME is a tribute—to the grounds, yes, but more importantly to the people who have kept this tradition alive through good years and hard ones, and who never stopped showing up, even when no one was watching.

And perhaps the most important lesson I took away from that first visit?

What has made this 'house of Highland Games' truly a HOME over the years…

Tradition: A Story From Glengarry

Chapter 2 “Home: The Maxville Fairgrounds”

⬇️ ⬇️ Watch Chapter 2 now ⬇️ ⬇️