Clan Thompson pauses for a moment at the end of the parade through downtown Estes Park for a photo. There were more of us in the parade itself, but we couldn’t get them all together for the photo. Typical Thompsons, eh?
You’ve heard that old saying, “A good time was had by all.” It used to be common in small town newspapers, but it definitely applies to Clan Thompson’s participation in the 2016 Longs Peak Scottish Irish Highland Festival in Estes Park, Colorado.
You know that Clan Thompson got its Colorado start at these games in 2009 and that this was the 40th Anniversary of what has become the biggest Celtic gathering in the Rocky Mountain West. But did you know that we met dozens and dozens, and perhaps hundreds of Thompsons and those with Thompsons in their family history, establishing relationships that will far outshine our current efforts to re-establish the name to its former prominence in Scotland and beyond? We found it nearly impossible to speak with someone who had absolutely no Thompsons in their family history somewhere, and even when we did, we were able to make connections with them. Clan Thompson’s official genealogist Maggie Spiry Jones even signed up an Erickson with roots in Scandanavia, as a new member, and will help find family roots and history for a couple with no known Thompson connection (yet). Have you noticed yet that nearly everybody in the world is related to a Thom(p)son?
Parker Thomson of Fraser Colorado and his extended family featured prominently in the joyous gathering this year, as many times in the past. The family included not only Parker and Jeannette’s two daughters and a son, plus their spouses and children, but also his 84-year-old mother, aunts, uncles, parents, children, and even Dougal, who became the Clan mascot and marched with us at the head of the parade. (See him down front in the accompanying photo.)
This year’s festival was by far, one of the most successful in the history of Clan Thompson in Colorado. We are fast becoming one of the most popular and beloved clans in the Rocky Mountain West. So many attendees expressed their gratitude for the information on family and history, that this event will be long remembered by those who attended and those who did not. Clan Thompson is on the move, and we are proud to be a part of the momentum.
Join us for the last clan event of the year at the Celtic Harvest Festival in Edgewater Colorado September 17 and 18. We are seriously considering adding a few more events to our schedule, including an excellent gathering in Moab Utah, and a new festival, starting up in Cheyenne Wyoming. Encourage your friends and relatives to subscribe to our e-mails and read this blog, and we’ll see the greatest days of Clan Thompson yet!