NYC Tartan Week & Tartan Day Parade

In 2005, two pipe bands and a small but enthusiastic group of Scottish Americans, led by Grand Marshal and Academy Award-winning actor Cliff Robertson, marched from the British Consulate to the UN in the first New York City Tartan Day Parade. Since then, the annual NYC Tartan Day Parade has brought together thousands of people from across NYC, the United States, and Scotland by providing meaningful connections through the celebration of Scottish heritage and culture. Organized by the National Tartan Day New York Committee, the Parade plays an integral role in marking National Tartan Day (April 6), a day declared by the U.S. Senate in 1998 to officially recognize the “outstanding achievements and contributions made by Scottish Americans to the United States.” Now in its 25th year the NYC Tartan Day Parade, which is free to all those who participate and represents the highlight of a week long series of Scottish-themed festivities designated as “NYC Tartan Week,” includes over 3,000 bagpipers, Highland dancers, clan organizations, Scottish dog breeds, and more, proudly marching up Sixth Avenue amongst tens of thousands of spectators in person and online. The NYC Tartan Day Parade and NYC Tartan Week continue to attract the best Scottish and Scottish-American artists, entrepreneurs, organizations, and more in an effort to promote, support, and develop deeper personal connections with Scottish heritage in America. To find out more, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @nyctartanweek

National Tartan Day New York Committee

The National Tartan Day New York Committee was formed in 2002 and obtained official nonprofit 501(c)(3) status in 2003 to organize the NYC Tartan Day Parade and all the associated activities that make up NYC Tartan Week. In following its mission to celebrate and spread awareness of the contributions made by Scottish Americans to the United States, the committee continually partners with organizations throughout New York City, the United States, and Scotland to present opportunities for those who have or identify with Scottish heritage to connect through more than a dozen Scottish-themed events each year during NYC Tartan Week. The committee is committed to providing meaningful exchanges and inspiring experiences in order to showcase the rich Scottish heritage that continues to thrive in America. The committee is comprised of representatives from The Saint Andrew’s Society of the State of New York, The New York Caledonian Club, The American-Scottish Foundation, and Clan Campbell. 

Grand Marshals

• 2022 Karen Gillan – Actress
• 2020 Brian Cox, CBE – Actor
• 2019 Sir Billy Connolly – Actor, Musician, Comedian
• 2018 KT Tunstall – Musician
• 2017 Tommy Flanagan – Actor
• 2016 Sam Heughan – Actor
• 2015 Co-Grand Marshal Tricia Marwick – Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament (2011-2016)
• 2015 Graham McTavish – Actor
• 2014 Howie Nicholsby – Kilt Designer, 21st Century Kilts
• 2013 Kevin McKidd – Actor and Director
• 2012 Brian Cox, CBE – Actor
• 2011 Rt. Hon. Bob Winter – Lord Provost of Glasgow (2007-2012)
• 2010 Rt. Hon. Sir Alex Fergusson – Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament (2007-2011)
• 2009 Alan Cumming, OBE – Tony Award-winning Actor
• 2008 Lawrence Tynes – Kicker for the New York Giants, Super Bowls XLII and XLVI
• 2007 Rt.Hon. George Reid – Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament (2003-2007)
• 2006 Brigadier Melville Jameson – Producer, Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (1994-2006)
• 2005 Randall Wallace – Academy Award-nominated Screenwriter of “Braveheart”
• 2002 Sir Sean Connery – Academy Award-winning Actor
• 1999 Cliff Robertson – Academy Award-winning Actor