Category Archives: entertainment

Old Westbury, New York, U.S. August 26, 2023. Members of the Clan Gordon Highlanders of Locust Valley wear their Scottish outfits at the Long Island Scottish Festival and Highland Games 2023 at Old Westbury Gardens. (© 2023 Ann Parry, annparry.com)

Scottish Festival & Highland Games at Old Westbury Gardens

From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry (annparry.com)
October 12, 2023

61st Annual Long Island Scottish Festival & Highland Games

At the 61st annual Long Island Scottish Festival and Highland Games at Old Westbury Gardens this summer, I left it to chance exactly where I’d spend my time.

VIDEOInis Fada Gaelic Pipe Band of Long Island:

I particularly enjoyed a variety of musical performances. In the above video, the Inis Fada Gaelic Pipe Band of Locust Valley plays a traditional Scottish marching song. 

Scottish Festival at Old Westbury Gardens

Old Westbury, N.Y., U.S. October 2023. Soprano NICOLE OLIVA entertained attendees during the 61st Annual Long Island Scottish Festival at Old Westbury Gardens. (© 2023 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Soprano NICOLE OLIVA (see above photo) sang, with lyric beauty and playful smiles, the song “All in the Golden Afternoon’ from the 1998 Disney animated feature film “Alice in Wonderland.’

VIDEO –  CHARLIE ZAHM movingly sings the mournful Scottish song “The Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomond”:

After a while in the sun, I headed to the shady west side of Westbury House, which looked prettier than a postcard, literally, with the summer greenery and backdrop of clouds and blue sky.

Scottish Festival at Old Westbury Gardens

Old Westbury, N.Y., U.S. August 26, 2023. Visitors walk by the West Porch of Westbury House during the 61st Annual Long Island Scottish Festival at Old Westbury Gardens. (© 2023 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

And I had great fun chatting (and photographing, of course) so many friendly attendees, who were often with family and always decked out in colorful traditional Scottish outfits. 

Scottish Festival at Old Westbury Gardens

Old Westbury, N.Y., U.S., August 26, 2023, At right, KAYLEY, of Oceanside, holds Winnie, her 4-year-ld Norfolk terrier, and at left, Kayley’s sister ASHLYN, of Oceanside, holds Kasey, her Bichon Frisé, at the Long Island Scottish Festival at Old Westbury Gardens. (© 2023 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

– Long Island Scottish Festival –

Scottish Festival at Old Westbury Gardens

Old Westbury, N.Y., U.S. August 26, 2023. CRAIG MICHIE, a member of the Clan Gordon Highlanders of Locust Valley, tends the table displaying banner and drums of the Clan Gordon Highlander Pipe Band, during the Long Island Scottish Festival at Old Westbury Gardens. (© 2023 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

– Long Island Scottish Festival – 

Scottish Festival at Old Westbury Gardens

Old Westbury, N.Y., U.S. August 26, 2023. L-R, DANIEL BLAINE, 11, is with his father DEVIN BLAINE, a member of the Clan Gordon Highlanders Pipe Band of Locust Valley at the Long Island Scottish Festival at Old Westbury Gardens. (© 2023 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com) Click to see full outfits

– Long Island Scottish Festival – 

Scottish Festival at Old Westbury Gardens

Old Westbury, N.Y., U.S. August 26, 2023. Siblings (L-R) ALEXIO BARBOZA, 29, and LIEN BARBOZA, 27, of Westbury are members of the Clan Gordon Highlanders of Locust Valley. They wore traditional Scottish outfits at the Long Island Scottish Festival at Old Westbury Gardens. (© 2023 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com) Click to see full outfits  

– Long Island Scottish Festival – 

Scottish Festival at Old Westbury Gardens

Old Westbury, N.Y., U.S. August 26, 2023. BOB SHEPHERD, of Connecticut, a member of the 42nd Royal Highland Regiment of Foot, also known as The Black Watch, attends the Long Island Scottish Festival at Old Westbury Gardens. (© 2023 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

– Long Island Scottish Festival – 

Scottish Festival at Old Westbury Gardens

Old Westbury, N.Y., U.S., August 26, 2023. Scottish flags fly in the wind during the Long Island Scottish Festival at Old Westbury Gardens. (© 2020 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Above photo: The Scottish flag in foreground is the Union Flag of 1801. It combines elements of the Irish Cross of St Patrick and the 1606 Union Flag . The flag in the background is the Royal Standard (or Banner) of Scotland, and is commonly called the Lion Rampant of Scotland.


Feature Photo (at top of post): Old Westbury, N.Y., U.S. August 26, 2023. Members of the Clan Gordon Highlanders of Locust Valley wear traditional Scottish outfits at the Long Island Scottish Festival at Old Westbury Gardens. (© 2023 Ann Parry, annparry.com)


Scottish Festival at OWG:  my PHOTO GALLERY

Old Westbury Gardens:  SITE  JOIN

Clan Gordon Highlanders of Locust Valley: facebook  • clangordonhighlanders.net

Inis Fada Gaelic Pipe Band (facebook):  @InishFada

Charlie Zahm Celtic… music:  charliezahm.com

Nicole Oliva (Soprano):  facebook.com/NicoleOlivaSoprano

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Lindenhurst, New York, USA. September 23, 2018. Closeup of framed The Parlor of Mystery poster handing over mantle, with skull and magic books, on stage set, during Comedy Magic Show presented by The Parlor of Mystery and South Shore Theatre Experience, South Shore Theatre Experience.

Voilà! Ha! Ha! at The Parlor of Mystery

From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry (annparry.com)
September 25, 2018

HINT: Click each photo below to have it ‘magically’ transform!

Lindenhurst, NY, USA. Sept. 23, 2018. Magicians (L-R) R.J. LEWIS, JOE SILKIE, BOB YORBURG, and DAVID ROSENFELD pose after performing in Comedy Magic Show presented by The Parlor of Mystery.  (© 2018 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Lindenhurst, NY, USA. Sept. 23, 2018. Magicians (L-R) R.J. Lewis, Joe Silkie, Bob Yorburg, and David Rosenfeld pose after performing in Comedy Magic Show presented by The Parlor of Mystery.  (© 2018 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

“Don’t play Three-card Monte. You can’t win,” was magician Joe Silkie’s sage advice as he introduced his cups and balls sleight of hand during the Comedy Magic Show at The Parlor of Mystery, September 22nd. My advice is: ”Don’t miss seeing a Parlor of Mystery show. You can’t lose.”

Lindenhurst, NY, USA. Sept. 23, 2018. L-R, Magicians Joe Silkie and Bob Yorburg pose after performing in Comedy Magic Show presented by The Parlor of Mystery. (© 2018 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Lindenhurst, NY, USA. Sept. 23, 2018. L-R, Magicians Joe Silkie & Bob Yorburg pose after performing in Comedy Magic Show at The Parlor of Mystery. (© 2018 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

Four Magicians & an Audience

The Comedy Magic Show featured Silkie and three other skilled magicians: Bob Yorburg, R.J. Lewis, and David Rosenfeld. 

Bob Yorburg – AKA Professor Phineas FeelGood – has performed magic for decades, including a stint in the 1970’s as a Magician Burger King in shows and commercials. He’s also a master wood carver and restorer.

Yorburg, who introduced me to the Parlor of Mystery years ago, began that night by performing an intricate traditional rope trick for the first time. Later, a twist at the end a trick he did with the help of audience volunteer Anthony was so wickedly funny I laughed out loud loudly.

R.J. Lewis has appeared in the Broadway shows “Barnum” and “The High Rollers,” in Atlantic City casinos, films, Princess Cruises, and at the White House for President Reagan.  (In Saturday’s show, he included impressions of the current and some past U.S. presidents.)

He opened his act with the conjuring equivalent of tap dancing across a high-wire: He performed magic with eerie candlesticks while singing “Magic to Do” from “Pippin.”

Lewis closed – and littered – his set with mesmerizing, fluttering paper butterflies.

David Rosenfeld hails from Long Island and has been a magician and mentalist for 15 years, performing at countless events, plus at small stages well-suited to his close-up magic.

Rosenfeld’s guileless admissions about the improbability – no, impossibility – that he possessed genuine powers of mentalism were both endearing and funny. 

Joe Silkie, the Parlor of Mystery producer, was the magnetic host of the Comedy Magic Show.

Silkie creates magic props and accessories for fellow magicians and magic shows on TV. That night, he delivered puns and fun on large cards and with other eye-catching props. 

Lindenhurst, NY, USA. Sept. 23, 2018. (L-R) Executive Producer Ted Plezia, and magicians RJ Lewis, Joe Silkie, Bob Yorburg, and David Rosenfeld, and Producer Mike Maione pose after Comedy Magic Show presented by The Parlor of Mystery. (© 2018 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Lindenhurst, NY, USA. Sept. 23, 2018. (L-R) Executive Producer Ted Plezia, and magicians RJ Lewis, Joe Silkie, Bob Yorburg, and David Rosenfeld, and Producer Mike Maione pose after Comedy Magic Show at The Parlor of Mystery. (© 2018 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

“Four Magicians & an Audience” could have been the show’s tag line, as a tip of the top hat to the key, hilarious role volunteers played with each of the four magicians at the intimate venue. 

This was the third year in a row I caught a show at the Parlor of Mystery, and I look forward to returning.

The Parlor of Mystery, my photos:  PHOTO GALLERY 

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