The programme of events for the 2010 Ballinasloe October Fair and Festival was officially launched by mayor of Ballinasloe, Cllr Pat O’Sullivan, at a special reception hosted by the Carlton Shearwater Hotel in Ballinasloe on Monday night.
Attended by sponsors, local councillors and officials, committee members, and volunteers, the launch event marks the beginning of the countdown to this longstanding traditional fair which is set to attract upwards of 85,000 visitors to Ballinasloe from Saturday October 2 to Sunday October 10.
Speaking at the launch of the nine-day programme, chairperson of the Ballinasloe October Horse Fair and Festival committee, Brendan Bradley, said, “The Ballinasloe October Horse Fair and Festival owes a debt of gratitude to all our sponsors and in particular to our local sponsors, without whose help this 300-year-old fair would not survive. As the Fair and Festival has no direct source of income from tickets or gate receipts, we are heavily dependent on sponsorship to meet our costs which have been increasing steadily in recent years and are now in the region of €160,000 annually.
General manager of the Carlton Shearwater Hotel, Jacinta Naughton, said the Carlton Shearwater Hotel was delighted to continue as main sponsor of the Ballinasloe October Fair and Festival.
Highlights of this year’s Horse Fair and Festival include the Ballinasloe Credit Union Horse of the Fair competition held in the Fair Green on Sunday October 3, and the competition for the Pony of the Fair on Monday October 4. Ballinasloe’s main streets will be pedestrianised for a huge outdoor market with everything from a needle to an anchor for sale.
A unique initiative aimed at fostering entrepreneurial spirit is the Fashion Entrepreneur Competition with a prize fund of €15,000 on offer. The final creations will be showcased in an evening of fashion on Wednesday October 6 in the Carlton Shearwater Hotel. There will also be free street entertainment and music, tug of war competitions, and a fireworks display.
Ballinasloe Vintners Lá Gaelach will take place on Country Fair Day, Saturday October 9, with traditional musicians taking to the stage including Still Sloping and members of Ballinasloe Ceoltas Ceoltoiri Eireann.
The Ballinasloe Horse Fair & Festival costs an estimated €160,000 to stage annually and is worth in the region of €8.5 million to the local economy.
For full information on the 2010 Programme of Events please log on to www.ballinasloeoctoberfair.com
