The much anticipated Euro-Festival, Athlone takes place in less than two weeks from Saturday July 24 to Friday July 30 when Athlone Town Council will host 15 European countries for an unforgettable week of free events and entertainment.
The grand opening festival parade on Sunday July 25 at 3.30pm will be a stunning spectacle of colour, music, and dance. Thousands of people are expected to line the streets of Athlone to welcome the 15 participating nations together with their sports teams and cultural groups. Representatives from local youth and junior sports clubs will escort each of the fifteen participating teams in the parade to the Civic Square for the opening ceremony.
The parade will be led by the Army Colour Party and the Athlone branch of the Irish United Nations Veterans Association and will feature the best of Athlone, Midlands and National Marching Bands including the Army Pipe Band, The Athlone Ravens Marching Band, The Athlone Town Pipe Band, The Mullingar Town Band, and The Clondalkin Youth Band. These talented musicians in their colourful uniforms will entertain young and old with their popular repertoire of music to suit all tastes.
Athlone’s Tonnta Street Theatre will add a splash of colour and fun to the parade featuring newly commissioned, highly original and inventive street theatre artists, giant street puppetry and characters, fire breathers, stiltwalkers, and Bozo the Clown.
The parade starts at 3.30pm sharp from Connaught Street on the west side of Athlone and will proceed to Pearse Street, Barrack Street and across the Town Bridge to Church Street, Dublingate Street, and the Bawn where it will finish up in front of the reviewing stand at the Civic Square. Local man, DJ Pete Casey of Shannonside Northern Sound will compere the event and announce the participating nations and parade participants. The newly elected mayor of Athlone, Cllr Sheila Buckley Byrne will then formally open the festivities on behalf of Athlone Town Council.
After the opening ceremony renowned Galway act Alalé will give an energetic trad show to coincide with the opening of the Euro-Village and will be followed by European cultural performances and then Mike Denver, one of the hottest names on the Irish country scene will complete the Sunday night music line-up.
The week long activities include: music, dance, and song, children’s activities, street theatre, exhibitions, sports, arts, photography, and street theatre competitions, the Euro-Village with 15 country stalls, an arts and crafts market, comedy acts, an open angling competition, nightly outdoor concerts, and a spectacular fireworks display on the last night.
For more information log on to www.eurofestival.ie
