Preparations intensify for exciting Euro Festival week

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 what promises to be an unforgettable week of free events and entertainment. The Grand Opening Festival Parade on Sunday, July 25, will be a stunning spectacle of colour, music and dance. Thousands of people are expected to line the streets of Athlone to welcome the fifteen 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 lead 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 also features a first for Athlone with maSamba Samba Band from Dublin taking part. The band specializes in carnival type events and participates regularly in the Dublin St. Patrick's Day Festivities and other large street events. The band has a large troop of drummers, dancers and street artists and is guaranteed to generate a carnival type atmosphere and get the festival off to a pulsating start! 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 host 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. Free outdoor concerts every night will feature Irish bands Delorentos, Mike Denver, Sean Slattery & The Conections, Blue Moose, The Fabulous Bonker Boys, Ragus and Keith McDonald and The Showband Show. Performances by popular local artists during the festival include Donna and Joe McCaul, the Golden Sisters, Ré- Seisiún, the LOLS, Bernard and Patrice Coyle, Athlone Choral Society, About Time Quartet, Sweet Auburn Ladies Barbershop Group, local musician Picolo and performances by Ganley, Conway and Concannon Irish Dance Schools will take place at various locations through the week. RTÉ presenter Rob Ross will MC an Open Mic Night on Saturday 24th July. Numerous art & photography exhibitions will run for the duration of the festival. The Grande Finale Night will showcase a fantastic line-up of entertainment including a performance of traditional Irish music, song and dance by the Athlone Cultural Group and an energetic mix of music for all tastes from the highly acclaimed Keith McDonald and the Showband Show. The festival will conclude with a Grande Finale Spectacular Fireworks Display from Golden Island, Athlone on Friday, July 30. Euro-festival Athlone is hosted by Athlone Town Council. Visit www.eurofestival.ie for the full programme of events or contact Athlone Town Council for a brochure on Tel: 090 6442100.