Forgottonia Fling Brings the Strength of Scotland to Argyle Lake State Park

Traditional Highland Games, family activities, and feats of strength come to Argyle Lake State Park September 4-5 for the inaugural Forgottonia Fling.

COLCHESTER, IL, UNITED STATES, August 18, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The strength and spectacle of Scotland are coming to Unforgettable Forgottonia this fall as the inaugural Forgottonia Fling Highland Games takes over Argyle Lake State Park September 4-5, 2026. Hosted by Ancient Athletics, the event will bring traditional Highland Games competition to west-central Illinois, with athletes from across the Midwest competing in a series of feats of strength, skill, and technique. The event is free to watch and family friendly.

The weekend kicks off Friday, September 4, with a public demonstration from 1 to 7 p.m. Spectators will have the opportunity to meet Highland athletes, learn about the events, and even participate themselves, with the chance to enter the tournament. Competition begins Saturday, September 5, at 9:30 a.m.

Ancient Athletics, in partnership with the St. Andrew’s Society of Central Illinois, is dedicated to promoting Celtic culture through athletic competition. The organization hosts approximately eight events across Central Illinois each year, ranging from large-scale Highland Games competitions to demonstrations where athletes work directly with spectators to explain the sport.

At the Forgottonia Fling, athletes will compete in nine traditional Highland Games events:

Caber Toss — The signature Highland Games event, in which athletes lift, carry, and flip a tapered log, aiming to land it in a perfect end-over-end turn at 12 o’clock.

Braemar Stone — A standing stone put emphasizing raw strength and explosive power, with no approach allowed.

Open Stone — A stone put allowing athletes to use either a glide or rotational technique to achieve maximum distance.

Light Weight for Distance — A one-handed throw that combines speed, timing, and technique.

Heavy Weight for Distance — A one-handed throw of a heavier implement that demands strength, precision, and control.

Light Hammer — A hammer throw performed with fixed feet, relying on rhythm and acceleration to generate distance.

Heavy Hammer — A heavier hammer throw requiring exceptional balance, timing, and power.

Weight Over Bar — Athletes throw a weight overhead with one hand, attempting to clear progressively higher bars.

Sheaf Toss — A weighted burlap bag is launched over a crossbar using a pitchfork, testing explosive power and technique.

The events range from impressive displays of raw strength to demonstrations of surprising technique. The caber toss alone is a spectacle unlike anything typically seen at a local sporting event, with men’s cabers potentially reaching more than 20 feet long and weighing well over 100 pounds.

Visitors can make a full day of the trip to Argyle Lake State Park. Saturday’s festivities will also feature an antique gas engine and tractor show, tractor parade, corn shelling and threshing demonstrations, working steam and gas engines, flea market vendors, kids’ games and activities, and breakfast and food vendors.

While at Argyle Lake, visitors can also explore the park’s trails, lake, and outdoor recreation before heading into Macomb to experience some of the region’s other unique attractions.

Just a short drive from the park, Macombopoly transforms Macomb’s historic downtown square into a larger-than-life, 170,000-square-foot Monopoly experience celebrating Macomb native and Monopoly inventor Lizzie Magie. Free and open 24/7, the app-powered game guides players through larger-than-life sculptures, interactive challenges, trivia, and real prizes. Visitors can also see the world’s only Living Lincoln Topiary Monument, a 16-foot-tall 3D-printed bust of Abraham Lincoln with real flowering whiskers, as part of Macomb’s Looking for Lincoln experience.

From traditional Highland athletics to tractors, family activities, outdoor recreation, and one very unconventional game of Monopoly, the Forgottonia Fling offers visitors plenty of reasons to make a weekend of their trip to western Illinois.

The Forgottonia Fling Highland Games take place September 4-5, 2026, at Argyle Lake State Park in Colchester, Illinois. The Friday demonstration runs from 1 to 7 p.m., with competition beginning at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. The event is free to watch and family friendly.

Are you a strong-person? Want to be a participant? Register at this link.

Learn more and plan your visit at visitforgottonia.com.

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About Macombopoly
Macombopoly is a larger than life-sized, app-powered interactive Monopoly experience played on the downtown square of Macomb, Illinois. Set on the historic Courthouse Square, the 170,000 square foot experience pays tribute to Lizzie Magie, the Macomb-born inventor who created The Landlord’s Game in 1903, the direct predecessor to the Monopoly board game. The game is powered by eATLAS and free to play. More at visitforgottonia.com.

About Visit Unforgettable Forgottonia
Visit Unforgettable Forgottonia is the destination marketing organization for McDonough County and the surrounding region of west-central Illinois, promoting the area’s history, attractions, and experiences to visitors from across the state and beyond. More at visitforgottonia.com.

Jock Hedblade
Visit Unforgettable Forgottonia
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