Longs Peak Highland Festival 2009- Estes Park, CO

[Parker Thomson]

I know that the Clan funds are tight and the Longs Peak Festival in Estes raised their fees, but I have to say I'm disappointed that Clan Thom(p)son will not be represented there.  Booner has been doing some stellar work, but he cannot do it all.

I have already made plans starting 3 months ago to be at the Estes games and can't rearrange the schedule with all the other Thomsons to do the Highlands Ranch Festival.      I'm hoping that we can get some exposure at the Estes - I mean marketing exposure.  Estes is the biggest games between the East & West Coast- so I hope we can Thom(p)sons be there.

PS- If there are any other "troublesome" Thompsons  at Estes, maybe we can hang out for awhile, drink some single malt, and start a haggis fight?  

Cheers
Parker
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[Mary]

Hi Parker -

Long time no see!

Well, Estes is just too expensive this year, and of the MANY who said they would help with the tent this year, they faded into the woodwork when they weren't going to get in free or some other perk. Our Commissioners barely get in free (and not always that!) If support had been offered soon enough to register, we may have reconsidered. But......  maybe a bunch of Thom(p)sons could still get together and make a splash walking through the games together....our tartan is very identifiable and you could wear the Thom(p)son society buttons or tshirts....that would be good advertising for us and you could spread the word about our efforts....

We currently have some pretty hefty bills for new tent banners and some new marching banners that will be ready for next season. This stuff doesn't come cheap.....neither does all the fabric for the tartan flags for all the commissioners. I don't think very many people realize what the expenses are like. Would we like to be at more venues? ABSOLUTELY!  So, let's get some more members who want to help - financially AND physically!

Wish you could have made it to Highlands Ranch.....I know Michael and Dan would have enjoyed having you there.

[Parker Thomson]

No sweat.  I made plans to be Estes back in March.  Couldn't be at the Highlands Ranch Games because I had already made plans to referee youth soccer games all weekend. So my family and I will be at Estes if any other Thom(p)sons want to hang out and party.    Since I'm a "newbie" I probably need a little guidance when it comes to the clan representation thing.  And don't be surprised if clan member asks for a freebie for helping out - after all, we Scots are supposed to be thrifty by nature? Catch you in the future - if not the pasture. Cheers. 

Parker
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[Mary]

Hi Parker -

I'm not really surprised people ask for a freebie.....and would be all in favor if we had been in existence and had the treasury of a Clan Campbell or Fraser! Unfortunately, we are still struggling with having to purchase everything for our efforts and that leaves little or no 'extra' funds. If a tent comes with a pass or two, usually the commissioner gets them. That's the ONLY "perk" of being a commissioner. The past few years, more and more games aren't even offering a couple of free passes. So.....when we become filthy rich, we'll pay entry and maybe towards travel expenses! 

Booner (Dan) Thompson footed the bill for the Highlands Ranch games.... THANK YOU DAN!

BTW, Parker......

WE ARE GOING TO BE AT LONGS PEAK, Estes Park thanks to Michael Thompson who is sponsoring the tent. THANK YOU MICHAEL!

[Parker Thomson]

OUTSTANDING about the Longs Peak Games! I emailed with Booner already about it. and I will contact Michael!   
Cheers
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[Michael Thompson]

It's coming this weekend!

Booner and I got together this evening to make our plans and get our materials ready. Thanks Mary for the great Clan Thompson banner. We can carry it in the parade through downtown Estes Park Colorado.

This is one of the biggest highland festivals and games in this part of the country, so we are happy to be able to have a presence here for the second year in a row. Any Thompsons in the area are encouraged to stop by and visit us. Clan Thompson will be in the North tent, number 89. Hope you can be there!

[Mary]

Hi Michael!  I've missed you on the forum - you've been much too quiet lately.......

Glad you like the banner. It's like I can't FIND enough stuff to fill my days    I THINK I Scotchguarded the one we have here to keep it cleaner so we could wipe it with a damp rag to tidy it up. Spray a small puddle of Scotchguard someplace, dip your finger in it and put a little onto a small area of the logo (don't RUB). If it doesn't change color or anything, I think I would do it on basically the whole banner front. But it's up to you and Booner. Do do a test area first! And roll it RIGHT SIDE OUT for storage.

You probably figured all that out, but once a teacher.......

Have a great time at the games - Ern and Cheryl from Australia get in here today and we're having our get together on Friday with those clan members who can make it. Last heard from him today - they were in Scotland and finishing up their tour and then heading to the airport. Should be a fun time!

[Michael Thompson]

Well, we're in Estes Park, unloaded the stuff into the clan tent, ready for tomorrow and the opening of the games. Booner is coming up on Saturday and Sunday, and we'll carry Mary's banner in the parade through downtown Saturday morning. Booner writes better reports than I do, but it sometimes takes him longer, so I'll try to keep everyone up to date.

[Michael Thompson]

Had a nice day in the clan tent today, met some Thompsons and lots of friendly folks. Parker and Jeanette Thompson came by and helped, and my son Timothy was with us.



Parker Thompson speaks with a visitor in the clan tent at the Long's Peak Highland Festival in Estes Park Colorado.

[Forum_mgr]

Great photo!

Do keep us all informed as the weekend goes along.

Thanks Michael,

F.M.

[Michael Thompson]

Booner http://clanthompson.org/CTF/index.php?action=profile;u=4 came up this morning (not on his motorcycle, as it was very cold and rainy today). The rest of us (Parker http://clanthompson.org/CTF/index.php?action=profile;u=93 and Jeanette Thompson, and their family, my wife and son and I) were already downtown for the parade, but since they had closed the road, he couldn't get to us, so he stayed at the clan tent. We marched in the parade and lots of the bystanders were cheering "Thompson" as we went by.

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs252.snc1/9917_261726960366_747200366_8850741_4552884_n.jpg
Clan Thompson in the parade through downtown Estes Park Colorado during the Long's Peak Festival.

Booner had bought a helmet at the Highlands Ranch Festival http://clanthompson.org/CTF/index.php?topic=298.0 because it looked like the Reiver helmets we've seen in pictures. We kept it on the table as a conversation piece. Parker decided to wear it in the parade of clans at the field.


Parker Thompson wearing the Reiver helmet at the Long's Peak Highland Festival in Estes Park Colorado.

When we got back to the clan tent, Booner was busily talking to festival goers who had not attended the downtown parade.


Dan "Booner" Thompson talks about family history in the clan tent at the Long's Peak Highland Festival in Estes Park Colorado.

Donna http://clanthompson.org/CTF/index.php?action=profile;u=65 had made up some cards with the Society logo and web site to pass out, and attached a candy to each one. They were quite popular.


Parker Thompson shows off the Thompson cards with candy that Donna made and sent us to pass out.

We'll be back out at the field tomorrow for the continuing festival, including the Kirking of the Tartans, trying to represent Clan Thompson. We had a lot of interested people, so hopefully, we'll get some new clan members from this. We're hoping to build a bigger Clan Thompson Society here in Colorado like all of you have back East.

[Michael Thompson]

Today was much nicer weather than yesterday, sunny in the morning and early afternoon, and temperatures in the 60's, though we did have a big thunderstorm in the afternoon. Lots of nice people stopped by the Clan Thompson tent, and we hope many of them will join the clan and introduce themselves here on the board. Many of them had questions that I'm sure some of the members here will be able to help them with.

One person who stopped by was author and family researcher Maggie Jones. She had apparently spoken with Tom and Mary last year, and she has been writing a book about the history of Muirs and Thomsons, with lots of documentation. She gave me some copies on CD, which I will forward to Tom, at her request.


Michael Thompson talks with Maggie Jones about family history at the Clan Thompson tent during the Long's Peak Highland Festival in Estes Park Colorado.


Timothy Thompson stamps a passport for a visitor during the Long's Peak Highland Festival in Estes Park Colorado.


Kathleen Thompson, Patrick Thompson, Michael Thompson, and Timothy Thompson in the Clan Thompson tent at the Long's Peak Highland Festival in Estes Park Colorado.


Timothy Thompson discusses Thompson family history with Patrick and Kathleen Thompson during the Long's Peak Highland Festival in Estes Park Colorado.

Booner has some names of people who stopped by the booth and we made lots of new Thompson friends. A number of people were excited to find there is such a thing as clan Thompson. We hope this is a sign of a growing Clan Thompson in Colorado.

[Parker Thomson]

Michael was quite the "info stud" at the clan booth.  I learned a lot just by hanging around and listening.  It was great to see Booner and listen to all of his cool stories too. Maybe we could have a "Colorado Thom(p)sons" gathering in between festivals?  Booner and Michael and anyone else with pics of the Longs Peak Festival- send 'em to me and I will put them into a YouTube movie!
Cheers
Parker

[Donna]

Thanks soooooo much to "Team Colorado" for a job well done 
And, I must say that y'all looked so handsome in your kilts 

Donna

[Barbara]

Michael and all, thanks for the report and the photos on the Colorado Games.  What a fine looking lot our Thompsons are!    

Parker, let us know if you do that YouTube movie.

Barbara