No Fame Games returns to Milford

Strength sports are coming back to Milford on June 13, but this is not just another local strongman meet. No Fame Games — the community-built festival that mixes Highland events, stonelifting, wrestling, and Celtic culture — is returning for its sixth year, and this time the organizers are framing the day as the inaugural Celtic Strength World Championships. That matters because the pitch has clearly grown. What started as a rootsy alternative to bigger prize-driven events is now aiming for a wider stage while keeping the same grassroots identity. ### What is actually happening in Milford? The event is scheduled for Saturday, June 13, 2026, at Fino Field in Milford, Massachusetts, with the opening ceremony set for 9 a.m. and competition running through the day. No Fame Games describes it as an all-ages Celtic strength festival, not just a single tournament, with tickets already on sale and volunteers being recruited ahead of the event. ### Why is this bigger than a normal Highland Games card? (nofamegames.com) Because the program is unusually packed. Organizers are advertising five simultaneous competitions and two headline championships, including Scottish Highland Games heavy athletics, a Team Highlander championship, Scottish backhold wrestling, Irish collar-and-elbow wrestling, and a Stones of Strength setup that includes both crowd participation and a featured stone challenge. Basically, it is trying to be part competition, part demo day, part cultural fair. (nofamegames.com) ### What are the most distinctive events? The wrestling piece stands out fast. No Fame Games says it will host the North American Scottish Backhold Wrestling Championships and the Northeast Irish Collar and Elbow Championships. The latter is especially notable because organizers say collar-and-elbow is returning to New England after disappearing there for about 100 years. That gives the event a revival angle, not just a sports angle. (nofamegames.com) ### Is this only for elite athletes? No — and that is the whole brand. The event page leans hard on “open format,” meaning athletes register themselves rather than getting invited, and it explicitly says all walks of life are welcome. There are also try-it stations, a crowd-participation stones area, kids’ activities, and even a tug-of-war against the pros. So the point is not just to watch specialists do obscure things. The point is to pull spectators into the day. (startingstrongman.com) ### What does “Celtic strength” mean here? It is broader than tossing cabers and lifting atlas stones. No Fame Games uses the term to bundle traditional athletics with heritage programming — live music, vendors, cultural panels, stickfighting demos, nonprofit groups, and clan associations. There is even a “What is Celtic Strength?” discussion panel on the schedule. Turns out the organizers are selling a full cultural atmosphere, not just a field of implements. (nofamegames.com) ### Why Milford? Milford is becoming the home base. The No Fame Games site calls this annual stop its “Home Games,” and regional festival listings now place it alongside other New England Highland and Scottish events on the 2026 calendar. So while the branding is getting more ambitious, the geographic center has not moved — Milford is still the anchor. ### What changed this year? (nofamegames.com) The biggest change is the label. The same annual event is now being presented as the inaugural Celtic Strength World Championships, with organizers saying countries including Scotland, Ireland, Sweden, the Netherlands, South Africa, Canada, and the United States will be represented. That does not mean it has suddenly become a mainstream global championship in the way casual sports fans use the term. But it does mean the event is trying to formalize itself as a flagship gathering for this niche. (nofamegames.com) ### Bottom line? No Fame Games is still selling the same core idea — community first, spectacle second, prestige third. But the 2026 edition shows what happens when a small, identity-heavy festival starts thinking bigger without dropping the local, participatory feel that made it work in the first place. (nofamegames.com 1) (nofamegames.com 2)