Lush fairways will give way to smooth ice, golf shoes will be replaced by ice skates and a unique Christmas atmosphere will hang over Mossgrove Park. Yes, the Ballina Ice Festival will get under way on December 8 and over the following two weeks a bumper programme of seasonally related activities will be on offer.
Ballina Golf Club has always been community based with a genuine social dimension, and on this occasion the club teams up with RNLI and Ballina Order of Malta to provide a very special experience, the town’s first Ice Festival and a unique lead in to the festive season.
In pride of place will be a 120 square metre ice rink with a capacity for up to 40 people, covered by a 200 square metre marquee. The rink, open each day from 4pm to 10pm, will provide the focal point for the special Christmas village that will be host to a plethora of other special festive attractions.
As well as having fun on the ice, children of all ages will want to visit Santa in his grotto, listen to Mrs Claus tell Christmas stories, and chat with the elves about their work as Santa’s helpers.
Mammies and daddies will be encouraged to shop local and support the continental style Christmas market that will be open on Saturdays and Sundays during the festival, with all produce produced locally. Afterwards they can relax in the clubhouse, celebrate with the festival signature drink and really get into the festive spirit to the uplifting and seasonally appropriate performances of the Rejoice Gospel Choir, the Moy Singers and Bonniconlon Choir, all of whom who will be dropping in.
And finally, we must not forget the other very special guests who will also be dropping in each day. Can you really afford to miss it?
