There is a jam packed programme of events lined up in Ballina for the 2014 Frosty Salmon Festival, which launches tomorrow (Saturday ) and runs until Tuesday December 23.
The festival is promoted by Ballina Chamber of Commerce, Mayo County Council, and the Mayo North Promotions Office, and features an array of merry family events such as the Mistletoe Market in the Military Quarter of the town, a fun and festive Grinch hunt, Christmas Carol X-Factor competition, Santa Fun Run, a €10,000 Christmas Cracker shopping bonanza, and of course, Santa’s Magical Grotto.
The Mistletoe Market is a European style Christmas market and will run from December 18 to 21, in the Military Quarter of Ballina. The market will turn the quarter into a winter wonderland of decorated stalls and light.
There will also be stalls selling traditional crafts, mostly handmade, as well as a range of locally produced, delicious, artisan foods that you will want to bring home.
There will be a feast of other delights for all the senses, to create an atmospheric, festive, and cosy Military Quarter, full of cheer with something for everyone in the family to enjoy.
A foodie offering will kick-start the market on Thursday December 18, which will feature a range of delicious locally produced foods.
There will also be cookery demonstrations to fill the air with delicious and tempting aromas so nobody will be leaving the market feeling hungry.
A Christmas Grinch, which was spotted by local shopkeepers recently, will be hunted and deported from the town on December 18 by a task force of local children and law enforcement agencies.
The Grinch Hunt, which is a treasure hunt with a festive twist, promises to be great fun for all the family to enjoy, and there will be some fantastic prizes to be won as well.
If you would like to get involved in the Christmas Carol X-Factor competition, call Ballina Tourist Office on (096 ) 72800, and they will be happy to give you all of the details on how to enter.
The Santa Fun Run is being organised by the Ballina Rugby Club and the details will be announced on December 20.
A great initiative this year is the €10,000 Christmas Cracker Bonanza, where hundreds of prizes are up for grabs in the town.
If your business would like to participate, Ballina Chamber of Commerce appreciates how busy you are in the run up to Christmas, so chamber representatives are currently visiting all shops and businesses in Ballina.
From late night shopping, to outdoor street performances, carol singing, fun running, competitions, delicious food, aromas, and locally produced crafts, the Frosty Salmon Festival 2014 means Ballina is the town to visit this year.
As well as aiming to keep local business local, the festival organisers aim to create a real feel-good factor in the run up to Christmas, and fill the town with the spirit of the season for all those who choose to visit and shop in Ballina, the 2014 winner of the Purple Flag Award.
For more information, visit the Frosty Salmon Facebook page, or follow Mayo North on Twitter.
Contact Nicola Flynn or Aoife Herbert, Moy Valley Resources IRD, Mayo North Promotions Office, on (096 ) 70905, or by email at [email protected].
