Many of the events during the week-long festival are free
A community in North Belfast is preparing for the return of the annual week-long summer festival.
Ardbone Fest is organised by the Ardoyne and Marrowbone Community Festival Committee, a group of volunteers who plan the annual festival while working full-time jobs. This year’s festival will start on Friday, August 8, with events for young and old running each day until Sunday, August 17.
Despite difficulties in getting funding for the festival, organisers say they have worked hard to make sure most events are free to attend. Events include local street parties, as well as a comedy night, and a dance night.
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Speaking to Belfast Live, one of the organisers, Sean Murphy, said the festival had been running for decades but drifted off. Around seven years ago, a group of people from the area grouped together and brought it back.
He said: “It’s about bringing business into the area, and putting stuff on for kids that normally wouldn’t get out or get to do things. Most of our events are free, we’re not about making money, it’s all about promoting the area.
“There’s around seven volunteers who work on the festival, around our full-time jobs. We start organising next year as soon as this year’s festival is over.
“We get some funding, but it doesn’t cover anywhere near what we need, so any money we raise through ticket sales for the two nights we charge, which is only a tenner, will go back in to pay for next year.”
As for what can be expected during the week-long festival, Sean added: “We kick off the festival with a street party in each street in the area. It helps bring all the residents together and get them in a festival sort of mood.
“During the week of the festival, we do lots of different events, one for older people, and we have a day at Dublin Zoo for the kids that’s only a fiver. We have fun days and magic shows that will be happening throughout the week too.”
Sean said he has many happy memories of attending the Ardbone Festival as a kid, and wanted to pass that on to future generations. He added: “I grew up in the area and I always loved the festival, it was a cracking week.
“Even in the lead up to it, there was always a great buzz again and then it drifted off a wee bit. I’m a DJ myself so I said I reckoned we could get the festival going again.”
To find out more about the Ardbone Festival and to read the programme, click here.
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