Old-world street market among highlights of Kells Festival

The Kells Heritage Festival will be officially launched by Kells Town Council cathaoirleach, Cllr Conor Ferguson, this Friday. The launch ceremony, which will be attended by comedian Fred Cooke, takes place at 1pm at the Civic Offices in Kells. Now in its 20th year, Kells Heritage Festival brings together an eclectic mix that suits all tastes and runs from Friday 24th June to Sunday 3rd July. The highlight of the festival will be the Kells Market Day on 3rd July, which will see the town closed to traffic and an old-style market day recreated on the main streets. Festivities start on Friday 24th June with an art exhibition and the launch of the Kells Pink Ribbon Walk 2011 at Ace Auto Body. A music festival with 10 bands will take place in Jack's Railway Bar on Saturday 25th June in aid of National Council for the Blind 'Fran's Charity Challenge Trek to Tibet'. Also that evening, the Kells Heritage Arts Group Exhibition opening will take place in the Edmund Rice Centre at 8pm. The official opening of the festival will be on Thursday 30th June at the town hall with the Kells Silver Band at 6.30pm. This will be followed by an Arts Trail from 7.30pm, finishing with an Irish Traditional night in Jack's Railway Bar. A Kells Children's Art Workshop in the Kells People's Resource Centre will take place on Friday 1st July from 11am to 1pm and there will be pavement art at Taypots, Bective Street, from 2pm to 4pm and a fancy dress competition at the Resource Centre at 4pm. This will be followed by a screening of 'The Gondoliers' at the Resource Centre at 8pm and a €20,000 Karoake challenge will kick off at the Kelltic Bar that night On Saturday 2nd July, the Spire of Loyd and the Kells Victorian Waterworks will be open to the public and there will be walking tours of Kells 'In the Footsteps of the Monks' at 10.30am and 7pm. Participants are asked to meet in foyer of the Headfort Arms Hotel. Also on Saturday, a Morris Minor National Rally will take place in the town, as well as a children's fun day with bouncy castles and karting at the Fair Green from 2pm. The Smith and Foley Dog Show will take place at Bective Street at 2pm. There will be pig racing in Farrell Street at 8pm and a festival BBQ at Jack's Railway Bar at 9pm as well as music in the Headfort Arms Hotel and The Westway. The Kells Market Day on Sunday will see the all sorts of colourful attractions on the streets of Kells, including arts and crafts stalls, artisan goods, a livestock market, vintage cars, traditional music, an artists' corner, international food stalls, demonstrations, rock music, matchmaking and a mock wedding as well as lots more. Entry to the market is €10 for adults, €5 for senior citizens and children are free. Anyone who would like to take a stall on the day can call (046) 924 0055 or (085) 163 6453. An application form can be downloaded from www.kellsmarketday.com Also on Sunday 3rd July, Kells Art Club presents 'Poets & Gazebos' in the garden of Carrick Lodge, Moynalty Road, from 4pm with Meath/Cavan LitLab Writers Group, featuring Paddy Halligan, Ina Olohan, Honor Duff, Mairead Donnellan and Patrick Devaney. There will be a number of heritage walks and the Spire of Loyd will be open, as well as music in The Westway, Headfort Arms Hotel and the Kelltic Bar. On Saturday and Sunday 9th and 10th July, Conor McPherson's hit drama, 'Port Authority', will be staged in the St Vincent de Paul Theatre at 8pm nightly. The festival organisershave thanked the following who will facilitate the Market Day: ICA Kells Ladies Group, Kells Chamber of Commerce, Kells Blackwater Football Club, Kells People's Resource Centre, Moynalty Steam Threshing, Drumbaragh GFC, Kilmainham GAA, North Meath Rugby Club, Kells Blackwater Junior Soccer Club and Gaeil Colmcille.