The Spring fling is a pipe band competition held each year somewhere in the BC Interior. This past May 4 and 5, we were in Grand Forks. At that time the town was high and dry, nine pipe bands paraded down a couple of blocks, were judged on marching and dress and deportment, judged on piping and music skills in a park and then were further judged on a skit and dance competition where all band members had to participate. The Kalamalka Highlanders from Vernon walked off with the best over-all band for the second year in a row. The Kal Pipe Band as well as the pipe bands from Kamloops, Kelowna, Shuswap and Kimberly all did well in different parts of the Fling and will be performing at the Tattoo 2018. Joining them will be individual pipers and drummers from most of the other bands as well as other bands from Western Canada and possibly the USA. All in all, there will be 80-90 pipes and drums on the floor for the massed pipe band parts of the show.
Our thoughts are with the Grand Forks folks as a few days after we were there, the rivers overflowed and the town faced a massive flood.