Creggs Harvest Festival is back for the October Bank Holiday Weekend and this year’s festival has lots of outdoor fun for all the family.
Due to Covid restrictions, all of the activities organised as part of this year’s festival are outdoors and the event promises to have something for all ages and is an opportunity to get out and enjoy the great outdoors. Those taking part in events are asked to observe all social distancing requirements and to take all necessary precautions in terms of sanitisation and to follow the advice of stewards.
The festival gets underway on Saturday, October 23rd with an All-Ireland Junior Cup game between Creggs and Kilfeacle at The Green, home of Creggs RFC. As current champions, Kilfeacle will be strong favourites for Saturday’s game. The four top teams in the league in each province qualify for the Junior Cup, so sixteen teams compete on a knockout basis. Saturday’s game is the first round and promises to bring lots of fun and colour to the village. Come along and support the team in what is a major game for the local club.
Sunday begins with a Children’s Fancy Dress Parade from Dolan’s carpark to the Wildlife Park, where there will be lots of Halloween fun for the younger visitors, including face-painting and Halloween games.
The annual dog show gets underway with registration at 12 noon followed by the show at 1 pm. With a variety of classes on offer, there is something to suit every pooch, from pup to poodle, spaniel to sheepdog.
Keeping the outdoor theme, there will be a heritage walk starting at 2 pm which will take walkers on a route to the King’s Grave near Hollygrove School. The walk will leave from outside the Heritage Centre at 2 pm and those who want to, can meet the walkers a half hour later at Hollygrove School and hear all about the King that is buried in Curraghboughla from local historian Larry Kilcommins.
On Monday, there will be lots of fun in the village. A car boot sale will take place along the street from 12 noon to 4 pm. At 11.30 pm, a wreath will be laid at the Parnell Monument. This year marks the 175th anniversary of Parnell’s birth, the 135th anniversary of his death and the 75th anniversary of the unveiling of the Parnell Monument in Creggs by Eamon de Valera in 1946. After the laying of the wreath, local historian Martin Duffy will give a short talk on Parnell and the Creggs connection.
After the talk, at 12 noon, a heritage cycle will take place, starting from the Parnell Monument. The cycle will take a route to Donamon Castle and back to the village, stopping off at some points of interest along the way. Those taking part are asked to wear helmets and Hi Vis vests.
At 2 pm, there will be a Car Treasure Hunt. Entry for teams of four is €20 and there will be a cash prize for the first team home and trophies for the first three teams back with the winning tokens. This promises to be a fun-filled event, where family teams will be tested on their local knowledge. Those who took part in the event two years ago will no doubt be back for more fun and games and should start brushing up on their local knowledge well in advance!
A clay pigeon shoot will also take place from 12.30 pm to 4 pm and for the shooting enthusiasts this promises to be a fun event. There will be music in local pubs nightly (see ads for details).
Creggs Harvest Festival 2021 offers a variety of events for all ages. Organisers are mindful of current Covid regulations and want to ensure that all who attend events can do so in a safe manner.
Join in the fun at this year’s event and celebrate the year-end by getting out and about in Creggs this weekend.
