A spectacular line up of music and fun for all the family as Castlerea Rose Festival is set to get underway
A section of the crowd at The Tumbling Paddies during the recent Castlerea Rose Festival in 2023. Pic: Liam Reynolds
A spectacular line up of music and fun for all the family is in store for this year’s Castlerea Rose Festival, which gets underway this evening, July 27th.
Chairperson John Mulligan explained that the musical line-up was brand new for 2024 apart from The Tumbling Paddies, who proved to be a huge draw last year. “They were even bigger than we expected,” said John.
The Tumbling Paddies, who will be playing at the Fair Green on Saturday, August 3rd, are among six big headline acts this year, three of which are free of charge to the public.
The free gigs include the hugely popular Mike Denver who makes his debut at the event and will play at the SuperValu car park tonight Saturday, July 27th. The other two free music events will take place at The Square: the Abba tribute band Abbaesque will play there on Thursday, August 2nd while reigning All-Ireland senior ceili champions, the Piper’s Cross Ceili band, will perform on Sunday, July 28th.
Two other big acts which are sure to attract big crowds are Take it to the Limit, an Eagles tribute band and Spirit of Smokie.
An eight piece band, Take it to the Limit make a welcome return to the Festival, and will play at Somers’ Park on Tuesday, July 30th. Spirit of Smokie play at the Fair Green on Friday, August 2nd followed by a fireworks display.
John explained that because of the ongoing fundraising efforts of the festival committee, all paid events were reasonably priced.
Sunday, August 4th, culminates with the gala Rose selection evening at the Trinity Arts Centre where nine contestants will compete for this year’s crown.
Lots of events are taking place for families and children throughout the festival, starting off with a children’s treasure hunt on Friday, August 2nd. A children’s art competition and disco take place on Saturday, August 3rd while a free family fun day is in store on Sunday August 4th. There is also a swimming gala taking place at the local outdoor pool on that day.
There is so much more to enjoy, which will cater for all tastes, including a triathlon, bingo, pig racing, a parkrun and a car boot sale.
A 20 strong committee and a pool of about 25 volunteers ensure that the Castlerea Rose Festival is always a success every year. Local businesses also play a vital part when it comes to sponsoring events every year.
“Everybody seems to be very happy with the way the festival has gone the last few years. According to some of the pubs, they had their best year last year and I know the Airbnbs and the hotel are all booked up this year from what I hear so there is a welcome spin off for the local economy,” said John.
Many local people living away, whether that be in the UK, the US or other countries, also book their holidays to coincide with the festival.
For more information on the festival and how to purchase tickets for events, check the Castlerea Rose Festival Facebook page.
