Tartan Army’s traffic cone is marching to Windsor for the Highland Games
The Boston Cone is the traffic cone that became a symbol of friendship between Glasgow and Boston during the 2026 World Cup. Scottish supporters became known for placing cones on statues, echoing Glasgow’s famous tradition of topping the Duke of Wellington’s statue with a cone. The cone was later welcomed by Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and is being taken to events around the region. It is scheduled to appear at the Maine Highland Games and Scottish Festival in Windsor on Saturday, where attendees can see the object associated with the Scottish supporters’ celebrations. (Courtesy of Maine Highland Games and Scottish Festival)
A famous and highly symbolic icon of the Tartan Army’s takeover of Boston during the 2026 FIFA World Cup will make its way up to Windsor for the Maine Highland Games and Scottish Festival.
The Boston Cone, a traffic cone decorated with the slogan “No Boston, No Party” and signed by officials of Glasgow, Scotland, as well as by Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, has been promoted as a symbol of the closeness of the people of the two cities when the national team of Scotland competed outside Boston drawing thousands of Scottish soccer fans partying in and around Boston during the games, and spreading their joy for their team and their culture as they went.
Before it arrived in Boston, it sat on the head of a statue of the Duke of Wellington in Glasglow. Now on this side of the Atlantic, it is currently in the Boston area. It’s progress can be tracked on its website, bostoncone.com.
This video from St. Andrews Society of Maine promotes its upcoming Maine Highland Games set for Saturday at Windsor Fairgrounds.
The well-traveled cone is expected to be on hand Saturday morning at the Windsor Fairgrounds for the opening ceremony of the Maine Highland Games and Scottish Festival, and will later be on display in the Expat tent and available for people who may wish to get their Scot on by posing with it.
Shari Rodden, event director of the games and president of the St. Andrews Society of Maine, said Thursday the cone became a manifestation of the love affair between Bostonians and the people of Scotlandand she’s thrilled the cone’s overseers agreed to bring it to Maine for the festival meant to celebrate all things Scottish.
“We are honored, delighted, and honestly a little starstruck,” Rodden said in a social media post about its pending arrival. “This cone has seen things. This cone has stories. This cone has a fan base. And on Saturday, it’s coming to our festival and we could not be more proud.”
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Rodden said the St. Andrew’s Society is so enamored with the Boston cone its members are starting what she anticpates will become a new tradition, featuring four new cones of their own making. The Clan Cone to recognize the various Scottish clans, an Expat Cone for all born-and-raised Scots, the Heavy Cone for the athletes competing in the games, and the Ceilidh Cone for all musicians and performers.
The cone will be part of opening ceremonies, which kick off at 9 a.m.
Participants march in August 2025 as part of the Parade of Tartans during a Highland Games and Scottish Festival in Windsor. The Maine event is scheduled for Saturday at Windsor Fairgrounds in Windsor. (Courtesy of Maine Highland Games and Scottish Festival)
The cone reached iconic status in recognition of a Scottish tradition of placing traffic cones on statues for major soccer matches there. The Boston Cone is also being used to help raise funds, for Scottish Action for Mental Health and Massachusetts Action for Mental Health.
About 11,000 people came to last year’s games and festival, its first year in Windsor, after several years at Thomas Point Beach & Campground in Brunswick.
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Rodden said Maine has the highest percentage of people of Scottish descent of any U.S. state.
Tickets are available online or at the fairground entrance. Children 5 and under get in free, ages 6-12 cost $7.77, and general admission tickets are $44.04.
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Rodden said the society, which puts on the event, is a nonprofit and all proceeds beyond expenses of putting on their events go to scholarships meant to help promote and preserve Scottish culture.
Events are scheduled to include heavy athletics events for men, women and youths including the New England Scottish Heavy Athletics Championship, with both professional and amateur classes, sheep herding dogs and demonstrations, traditional Scottish dancing, pipes and drums, stone lifting, armored sword fighting demonstrations, a falconry demonstration, kilt making demonstrations, numerous food and merchandise vendors, presentations on Scottish history and culture, and live music by several bands.
Vendors at the event include two pubs.
Participants fire rifles August 2025 during the Highland Games and Scottish Festival event in Windsor. The Maine event is scheduled for Saturday at Windsor Fairgrounds in Windsor. (Courtesy of Maine Highland Games and Scottish Festival)
Traditional heavy athletics competitions generally involve tests of strength such as throwing logs, and lifting and throwing stones and other weighted items.
“Everything at our games is 100% Scottish,” Rodden said. “The biggest thing is we are family, its literally the one day out of the year we all become one big clan, because it’s so family oriented, and a great bunch of people.”
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Tagged: maine highland games, Windsor Fair, world cup soccer
Keith Edwards covers the city of Augusta and courts in Kennebec County, writing feature stories and covering breaking news, local people and events, and local politics. He has worked at the Kennebec Journal. More by Keith Edwards
