Friends' Goodwill festival fun gears up for busy weekend

From 3.00 pm until 5.00 pm, in the town centre, the Downtown Country Roadshow will be providing entertainment for shoppers.

At Sandy Bay Playing Fields, from 3.00 pm to 6.30 pm, there will be family fun activities, Loose Thread Quilters’ outdoor exhibition, food stalls, walkabout characters as well as a ‘Living History Village’ featuring a blacksmith; potter, candle/lamp maker; working farm and kitchen; wool spinning;

soldiers’ camp/living quarters; a history talk by Allister McReynolds; storytelling by Bridget Anne McNeill and dance classes by Jive NI, from 6.30 pm until 7.30 pm.

There will be live music this evening at Sandy Bay Playing Fields from Broken String Band, at 6.30 pm, Marty Mone, at 8.00 pm and Jim Devine, at 9.30 pm.

On Saturday, live music at Sandy Bay will start at noon with ‘Cup O Joe’; 1.20 pm, Gormacha; 2.40 pm, Stonewall; 4.00 pm, Chelsey Chambers; 5.00 pm, Niamh McGlinchey; 6.15 pm, Four Men and a Dog; 7.30 pm, Barry Kirwan with guest Philomena Begley and Una Healy, formerly of The Saturdays, on stage at 9.00 pm.

On the town centre stage in Larne, tomorrow (Saturday), will be the Kathryn Stewart School of Highland Dance, 11.00 am; Larne Music Yard, 12.00 pm; Grouse Beaters, 1.00 pm.

The fun will begin at Sandy Bay Playing Fields at 11.00 am with attractions including the ‘Living History Village’; Irish food heritage demonstration; and Loose Thread Quilters.

Watch the strongman competition, from 1.00 pm until 3.00 pm, American football by the Carrickfergus Knights or cheerleading by Larne Wolves and Ballymena Flames, Scottish and Irish dancing displays.

On Sunday, there will be another chance to see the ‘living history village’ and sample Irish food heritage at Sandy Bay Playing Field, from 11.00 am, view rowing and sailing displays from the promenade, Scottish dancing and theatre.

There will be live music by Willie Drennan, at 1.00 pm; Connla at 2.15 pm; Brian Houston, at 3.30 pm and Dana Masters, at 4.45 pm.

A commemorative plaque will be unveiled and a service will take place at the emigrant memorial in the Curran Park, at 2.00 pm.

See the full festival programme on the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council website:

https://www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk/friends-goodwill-festival-2017/festival-programme/#Sun 21