- Tod Rasmussen
Sharpening Sword Skills
"Members of the Highland Mercenaries of Tracy practive theri sword-fighting techniques Saturday at Andrews Park in Vacaville in anticipation of next weekend's Celtic Nations Festival. The Festival, which will be held at Andrews Park Starting at 11 a.m.on Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday, will feature music, beer gardens, food and exhibits."

Stockton Record
Brews and Band Plentiful in Tracy
"Dueling Duo: Mitchell McLelland, 44, left and Rafael Carzdoza, 32 both of Tracy, "fight" it out at downtown Tracy's Cool Blues Microbrew Stroll on thursday night.

Tracy kicked off a three-day celebration Thrusday night with the cool Blues Microbrew Stroll through downtown, sponsored by the Downtown Business Improvement Association.

Included amoung the bands and brews were The Highland Mercenaries, who gave a re-enactment of a sword fight between warring Scottish clans in the 1600's. Jon Detamore, 41 and Cris Rooms, 22 both of Vacaville, and Allan Gagner, 20 and Richard Gagner 18 both of Tracy were "killed off" in a duel earlier than Mitchell McLelland and Rafael Carzdoza both of Tracy."

- Jason Massad
Dangerous Liaisons "Scottish troupe brings history to life. "It was like a scene from the movie "Braveheart" that had been dropped into Vacaville's Andrews Park on Saturday afternoon.

Four men in kilts who called themselves the Highland Mercenaries thrusted and parried their swords on the park's grassy lawn in preparation for next weekend's Celtic Nations Festival, which will be held there.

The stakes will be high, they said as it will include battle re-enactments of the hated Romans and Celts and of course the Scottish Mercenaries.

When not engaging in their pretty realistic sword play, members of the troupe were happy Saturday to show off their array of authentic weapons, including the Claymore Two-Handed sword, which lent its name to the U.S. Army 'mine' that also is known to "remove limbs," said Mitchell McLelland, in a Scottish brogue."

Tracy Press - Karen Coleman
Patrons Enjoy Spirit, song in Downtown Event "Earlier in the evening, Tracy's Highland Mercenaries created an odd sight - the kilted members staged a Scottish sword fight on the asphalt of Central Avenue near 10th Street.

"I think it's pretty cool. It feels like you're in Ensenada at Carnival," said Erman Pelayo, a graphic design student and native of the Mexican state of Jalisco. The 10-year Tracy resident said this was his first Cool Blues and Microbrews stroll.

"They get down like that in Mexico" he joked to his buddies, but they're not brave enough", he said as a member of the swordfighting troupe sliced his sword across a colleague's throat.

"Tonight we're allowing homicide to occur," said Tracy police officer Dwayne Pedersen.. "They have a permit for that," he said standing watch as the body count grew."