Time to get heavy

Key points

• A new festival in the highland tradition will hold its first event in Bannockburn on Saturday, October 24, at the Golden Plains Soccer Club. The Geelong Highland Games and Celtic Festival replaces the Geelong Highland Gathering, which ended with its final official event in 2019.
• The day features 25 heavy athletes competing in the national heavy games championships, along with haggis hurling, pipe and drum bands, folk music, dance and market stalls.
• Festival president Craig Monument said two of Australia's top male athletes, Terry Sparks and Brock Ridsdale, will compete, alongside a strong open women's category.