'˜Land of Little People' the theme for St Patrick's Day

This year the festival theme is the ‘Land of the Little People,’ and there will certainly be plenty to keep your little people entertained over the course of the weekend at locations across the district.

Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District, Councillor Elisha McCallion, said she was looking forward to welcoming visitors for the annual celebration. “This year we have even more to offer visitors keen to experience one of the biggest cultural events here in the city. As well as the traditional Spring Carnival Parade which is a draw for thousands each year we have a full programme of family friendly activities to keep everyone entertained.

“It will be a real treat for our international visitors as well as the local people who always turn out in their thousands to enjoy the festivities each year.”

The traditional St Patrick’s Day celebrations in Derry kick off with the annual Spring Carnival Parade on March 17, bringing hundreds of performers from across local communities together for a vibrant display of music and dance which will weave its way through Derry’s city centre.

There will be live music and street animation in and around the Guildhall Square Festival Marquee throughout St Patrick’s Day, as well as a full programme of shows and arts activities in the Guildhall, Tower Museum and the Craft Village. Or why not join the Little Folk for some fun and games in the Pixie’s Paradise in the Peace Garden?

St Patrick’s Day gets off to a running start in Strabane with a special 5k fun run beginning at 11.30am. Entries are now being taken at Melvin Sports Complex costing £5.

Festivities in Strabane Town Centre include the traditional St Patrick’s Day parade which follows the usual route from 2pm. There will be live music as well as plenty of street entertainment including a Petting Farm, circus antics, balloon modelling, face painting and plenty of craic agus ceol.

On Saturday and Sunday March 19th and 20th, the Legenderry Food Festival will celebrate the very best Irish cuisine as local chefs take to the hobs in the festival marquee to rustle up some stunning signature dishes. Food lovers flock to the event annually to sample the very best produce from the North West with action filled cook offs, demos and a few celebrity guests dropping in. This year the event is a highlight in Tourism NI’s Year of Food and Drink programme, shining the spotlight on the region’s flourishing food tourism industry.

While all things Irish are on the menu over the weekend, the festival also has a strong multi-cultural flavour with the Ubuntu Global Festival taking place on March 19th, celebrating global cultures within our local communities.

A whole host of other events will be held across the district throughout the festival, so for more information on the full programme go to www.derrystrabane.com/StPatricks