Highland Celebration – Highland Retreat

Highland Celebration - Saturday, May 18, 2024

Join us for our largest gathering of the year and enjoy fun, fellowship, and the opportunity to support of our summer staff! The event is still on, regardless of the rainy forecast! A few activities have been cancelled (see details in the schedule below), but the majority of the day will continue as planned, with activities under the shelter of our various pavilions and tents. Come join us!

You are welcome to join us for some or all of the Celebration day activities. Or if you would like to come for the weekend instead of just for the day, campsites and camping cabins are available!

Expand any of the items in the schedule below to see more details.

8:30am - Morning hikes and birdwatching - CANCELLED due to rain

Update (May 16): Due to the steady rain that is forecast for Friday night into Saturday, we have made the decision to cancel all the hikes and birdwatching this year. We will hope for better weather next year!

Anyone interested in a guided hike or a birdwatching walk should gather at the Tabernacle at 8:30am. Participants will then split off into smaller groups for their desired hike, choosing one of the following experiences:

A birdwatching walk led by an experienced local birder. This group will stroll the Highland grounds, mostly in the lower camp area, with stops to observe the local birds. Bring binoculars and/or a favorite bird identification guide, if you have one. Plan on the birdwatching session taking 2 to 2.5 hours.
A family-friendly hike on the perimeter trail, with some stops for (optional) kid-focused activities led by one of our interns. The perimeter trail is a 2.2-mile loop and does include some hilly sections. Depending on how long you linger for the activities, the full hike may take 1.5 to 2.5 hours.

The following three hike options are described as starting from a parking area partway up PeeWee Run, at the trailer just beyond the climbing tower; one of our staff will lead the way for everyone wanting to drive up there from the gathering point at the Tabernacle. If you choose to start one of these hikes from the Tabernacle instead, that will add another mile or so to your hike each way.

Explore Highland's PeeWee Run property. From the parking area, hike about 0.5 mile up PeeWee Run to the trailhead on Highland's newest property. Wander around and explore that property as much as you like, then head back down to where you parked. Hiking up and back (1 mile total) should take less than an hour, plus however long you decide to explore at the trailhead.
Hike to Spruce Lick. The trailhead is about 0.5 mile from the parking area, and then you may follow the 0.9-mile Spruce Lick trail out as far as you choose before turning around and hiking back. (Up to 2.8 miles total.) This trail is NOT a loop. There is not a lot of elevation change on this trail, but there are several stream crossings. Plan on this hike taking 1.5 to 2 hours.
Hike to Tiger Rocks. The trailhead is about 0.5 mile from the parking area, then you can follow the 2.7-mile Tiger Rocks loop, and finally hike the 0.5 mile back to the parking area. (3.7 miles total.) Please be aware, the trail to Tiger Rocks is very steep in places! Plan on this hike taking 2.5 to 3.5 hours.

11:30am - Lunch served at the Tabernacle (seating out of the rain, too!)

Lunch will be served from 11:30am to 1:00pm. Note: We will start cleaning up the food lines shortly after 1:00, so please try to arrive at the Tabernacle by 12:30 to allow enough time to get your food.

The menu will include:

Burgers (Angus beef or vegetarian) and hot dogs
Picnic sides, such as potato salad, chips, watermelon
Pies and other desserts

The meal and all activities are by donation. You will be able to drop off donations (cash or check) as you enter the Tabernacle to get your lunch; for other donation methods, visit the activity tent in the afternoon. All donations will support the ministry of Highland Summer Camps.

12:30pm - Concert by The Walking Roots Band (under the big tent)

The Walking Roots Band will begin playing music on a stage platform beside the Tabernacle around 12:30pm. Their concert will be fun for all ages, and will begin with some songs that children will particularly enjoy.

If you are unfamiliar with The Walking Roots Band, they are a local music group that describes their style as acoustic, Americana, folksy, blue-ishgrassy, roots music. The band is also closely involved in The Soil and The Seed Project, and may perform some songs they wrote for the purpose of nurturing faith through music, art, and 'little liturgies' in the home.

2:00pm - Family-friendly activities, including archery (most are under shelter!)

A variety of activities will be available from 2:00 to about 4:00pm. Activities will include:

Informal picnic-style games, like cornhole and spike ball, that anyone can enjoy. These will be set up in the Tabernacle after the food lines close.
Special activities for children, with prizes! These are simple games and tasks (think throwing, balancing, stacking, etc.) set up in Sassafras Pavilion that children can complete in order to earn rewards, such as stickers or a frozen treat. Activities are geared toward camp-aged children (so ages 5-15), but some can be enjoyed by younger children, as well. Visit the tent near Sassafras Pavilion for more information on the activities and prizes.
A 5-hole disc golf course for adults and children! Pick up a disc and a scorecard from the activities tent and play through the 5 temporary holes around the Sassafras Pavilion area (you might get rained on!). This activity counts toward the children's prizes (participation=tickets that can be redeemed for a reward). There will also be prizes for adults who achieve a good score.
Try out our new ARCHERY activity! The newest major activity for Highland Summer Camps is archery, and you can be among the first to test it out during this afternoon. Participants will shoot from the shelter of a tent. This activity counts toward the children's prizes (participation=tickets that can be redeemed for a reward). More details about the archery activity below.
Update (May 16): Due to the chilly temperatures and the rain that is forecast for Saturday, we have made the decision to NOT open the pool for the Celebration this year. We will hope for better weather next year!

We hope you will join us for some of these afternoon activities!

More information about archery:

This activity is for ages 6-17, any level of experience. It will be led by certified archery instructors.
Highland will provide the necessary equipment. We have recurve bows in several sizes, and can accommodate right-handed or let-handed people. Participants will be shooting at stationary targets.
The goal of this activity is to introduce the fundamentals of archery in a fun way. This is not a marksmanship competition! We want participants to have fun and hopefully hit the target.
An archery session will last about 30 minutes. Since there are a limited number of people who can participate at any one time, you will need to be at the archery tent at the appropriate time in order to participate. We plan to start groups of younger archers (ages 6-10) at 1:30, 2:30, and 3:30, and groups of older archers (ages 11-17) at 2:00 and 3:00. We may adjust that slightly as we go if needed.

Meal, concert, and activities are by donation, with all donations supporting Highland's Summer Ministry.

You are welcome to complete the form below to let us know you are coming, but it is NOT REQUIRED now (after 5/15) -- Please feel free to join us whether you have RSVPed or not!