Athlone Towncentre is to join in the spirit of the town’s Hallowe’en festival this weekend with a line-up of spookily fun events.
From 2-5pm on Saturday, a variety of free kids’ activities will take place in Athlone Towncentre, including mask making, arts and crafts, fancy dress, face painting, balloon modelling, and free candy floss.
Magician extraordinaire Pat Fallon, fresh from his recent appearances on TV3, will also be in the centre for his popular magic show at 4pm. To add to this there will be spooky story-telling and party games courtesy of the team at Groveland’s Childcare, and fantastic dance routines by Attitude Dance School.
These events provide the perfect warm up for the Athlone Hallowe’en Festival taking place that evening, and kids can have the chance to make their own masks to wear in the parade. All events are free of charge and full details are available on www.athlonetowncentre.com
Meanwhile, the Hallowe’en festival committee are busy putting the finishing touches to this weekend’s event. Plans include a ‘Thriller’-themed fancy dress parade starting at 6pm from the civic square in Athlone, then heading over the town bridge to St Peter’s Church and back to the civic square. The parade will be led by the Ravens Marching Band and Attitude Dance Company are also taking part.
Hallowe’en workshops are in full swing, and Tonnta are flat out supporting costume and puppet making. Young people between the ages of 10 and 21 are being encouraged to start planning their ‘Thriller’ and monster costumes. Anyone interested in the Hallowe’en workshops should contact Sandie Hughes, Tonnta (090 ) 6476615.
After the parade a Monster Ball will take place also in the civic square where live bands, a rap artist, and DJ Peter Casey will be entertaining the crowd. There will be a fancy dress competition and prizes for scariest and funniest costumes, plus other spot prizes on the night. Light refreshments will be provided .
Organiser Michael Cunniffe explained that the purpose of the Hallowe’en Festival is to offer young people an alternative to bonfires. “Many parents are concerned about the dangers posed by bonfires and the anti-social behaviour that occurs around this time of year. By offering an alternative, parents and local communities can show young people that they can enjoy themselves in an alcohol-free and bonfire-free festival atmosphere.”
Anyone interested in volunteering to help out with the event should contact Linda-Jo or Helen at WCDL offices (090 ) 6494555.
