The festival was the first in Mercer County Saturday
WEST WINDSOR - For the first annual Mercer County Kilt Festival, the name of the game was kilts, music and good haggis.
The all-day event Saturday was held to celebrate Irish and Scottish heritage with music, food, dancing and - in one event - a full two-mile kilt run. People arrived, some wearing kilts, others decked in full green ensembles, to celebrate the first festival of its kind at the Mercer County Park fairgrounds.
For one vendor, it was a chance to share a food that many had never tried - haggis. Ian McAndrew, who owns a Scottish restaurant in Brick, NJ., spoke Saturday about his struggle to get more people introduced to the traditional Scottish dish.
"There's a mystique built up around haggis," McAndrew said, adding that many people automatically think they should hate haggis without ever trying it. McAndrew, whose father was a Scottish immigrant, took over the family restaurant and tried to make Scottish dishes more accessible for people in the states. One of those efforts resulted in what he called "haggis nuggets," crunchy, fried versions of the Scottish classic that were a big hit at Saturday's festival.
"We try to make traditional dishes in a way that appeals to a broader audience," McAndrew said.
Though food was a selling point Saturday, it was not the only attraction in a festival that included music, dancing and competition.
Chris Beyer, who wore a kilt and ran the festival, talked about one of the most sought-after acts, the Wolf Tones, who played at the festival Saturday. He said Derek Warfield, a musician for the Wolf Tones, came all the way from Ireland to play at the festival.
"Everyone in Ireland knows them," Beyer said proudly as the band played.
The festival was the first of its kind but many who showed up Saturday hoped that it would continue the next few years.
Anna Merriman may be reached at amerriman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @anna_merriman