Strangford is abuzz with festival frolics

Strangford is abuzz with festival frolics

31 August 2016

STRANGFORD’s summer festival had everything to offer — bar a world record.

A late summer heatwave once again blessed festival-goers who came out in great numbers to enjoy a 10k race, sports day, raft race, topper races, vintage rally, funfair and much more.

Despite the crowds, an ambitious effort to beat the world largest ever Waves of Tory ceili dance was unsuccessful with a couple of thousand extra dancers needed to break the existing record.

Even an announcement that the crowd was short failed to dampen the spirits of the hundreds who had turned up to revel in the on-street dancing to the Crosskey Ceili Band.

The amateur dancers responded to the announcement with a defiant cheer before continuing to practice their moves as dance steps were called throughout the sunny afternoon.

There was music throughout the weekend including live music on the village green and sessions in the local pubs.

The Sunday morning raft race, in memory of former parish priest Father Colm McGrady, once again proved a huge hit with dozens of painstakingly designed and personalised crafts entered into the playful race and organisers ensuring spectators got almost as wet as the participants.

The water-based fun continued with children encouraged to leap off the pier or play “walk the plank” before juniors from Strangford Sailing Club and Quoile Yacht Club took part in an early afternoon sailing race.

The weekend of activities drew to an end as crowds made the best of the last summer Bank Holiday Monday, enjoying a vintage show and Hugo Duncan’s live radio broadcast before the organisers began to pack up for another year.