Crossgar gets set for a huge weekend of festival activity

29 July 2015

CROSSGAR’S hugely popular annual summer festival kicks off this weekend.

Once again, organisers have put together a packed programme of entertainment which has something for everyone.

Organised by the village’s energetic community association, the eight-day festival will see the spotlight focusing on Crossgar, with the Lislea Drive area one of the main centres for festival fun and games.

Months of hard work have gone into organising the various events, with community representatives hoping for fine summer weather to put the seal on what promises to be a particularly exciting festival.

The community group’s work has been greatly assisted by local sports clubs, the business community and musicians and organisers are grateful to everyone who has helped in any way.

Kicking off this Saturday, Lislea Drive is the place to be for a host of activities including the annual Crossgar Youth League finals which start at 11am. At 12.30pm, the venue will be a sea of colour and beaming faces when the traditional fancy dress parade — which is open to children of all ages — takes place. The parade moves off at 1pm.

There will also be a variety of stands, featuring tombola, bottles, cakes, toys and white elephant goods. In addition, there will be an auction, face painting, ice-cream and, to satisfy hungry appetites, an all-day barbecue. For the under eights there will be a free bouncy castle.

In the nearby community centre, artists Leo Casement and Margaret Eynon will be in residence, with tea and coffee on sale as well. Admission to the community centre is free.

The second day of the festival features a cycle run for children under 10. It starts at 1pm and is being organised by well know local cyclist Caroline Adams.

Young cyclists will make their way through the grounds of the Tobar Mhuire monastery, with Caroline also organising some exercises for the children before they return to Lislea Drive for a barbecue and disco.

Later on Sunday afternoon, those with an interest in local history are asked to take in a walk around the village. The event starts at 2pm with participants returning to Lislea Drive for a barbecue. There will also be some music to entertain them.

The annual festival is also catering for golf enthusiasts with a tournament this Sunday, with competitors teeing off from 9am. Mark Withers is organising the event.

Running enthusiasts take centre stage on the third day of the festival. A five-mile road race has been organised by Crossgar Harriers and Kilmore Rec running clubs next Monday, starting at Lislea Drive ay 7pm. The entry fee is £9 which organisers would like to be paid by 6.30pm. Presentations to the winners of the various categories will take place at the Carmann’s Inn at 9.30pm.

Day four of the festival is one of the busiest with a host of events with the Crossgar Youth Fun Night taking centre stage, with the action getting underway at Lislea Drive at 6.40pm for under sixes and under eights. There will be a free bouncy castle, disco, tea and coffee and a shop.

Also next Tuesday, a seven-a-side soccer team from Crossgar makes the short journey to Dunleath Park in Downpatrick for a charity match against the Arkle Bar in memory of the late Snowy Graham, with the proceeds going to Marie Curie. The match starts at 7pm.

The soccer fundraiser is part of the Crossgar festival and is being organised by Gerald Graham. Festival organisers hope the event will be well supported, promising a great night’s craic as all the players are over 30.

On Wednesday of next week a boys and girls GAA tournament is being organised by Teconnaught GAC with the event taking place at the Kilmore playing fields. It starts at 6.30pm with teams asked to arrive early so a drawn can be made.

Lislea Drive again takes centre stage next Thursday, August 6, for the Crossgar Youth League Fun Night for the U-10s and U-12s. Once again there will be a bouncy castle, shop, disco, tea and coffee. Also next Thursday night there will be a festival quiz at the Corner Inn, starting at 8.30pm.

On the penultimate day of the festival extravaganza, attention switches to Robert Adams Park. The Crossgar and Killyleagh Youth Leagues respective under-eight teams go head-to-head at 5pm, with the U-12 teams from both leagues competing for the Rosie Gallagher Challenge Cup one hour later. At 7pm, Kilmore Rec. take on an Irish League select, a match which promises to be a cracker of an encounter. Admission is free.

Meanwhile for all local rockers, The Villager is the place to be next Friday night of when Sweet Leaf will be performing. A cover charge will apply.

And The Villager again takes centre stage on the last night of the eight-day festival with a fancy dress event which gets underway at 9.30pm, with a cover charge once again applying.

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