WHILE PERHAPS the crowds didn’t make it out in the same force as previous years, there was still a bit of excitement around Enniscorthy over the weekend as the annual Strawberry Festival took place.
This year’s festival focused on the same core events such as The Strawberry Ball and Taste of Wexford Strawberries Cookery demo along with the ever popular All-Ireland Farmer’s Market and plenty of kids entertainment including a kid’s disco with Liam Sharkey and a Teddy Bear’s Picnic.
The festival also included a range of exciting fringe events including the Voices from a Drawing Room Concert and Fashion in the Castle events organised by Donal Cullen; the local farmer’s market and Enniscorthy Credit Union’s Annual Night at the Dogs.
The whole festival was organised by a committee of just three people – Chairman Cyril Wheelock, along with Tom Byrne and Colm Levingston.
“The three amigos people are calling us,” laughed Cyril. “Considering everything, we were delighted with how it turned out. The weather wasn’t great on Sunday and you had the match on and things like that, but there was still a good crowd milling around which is an indication of just how popular the All-Ireland Farmer’s Market is. We had a great night at the Strawberry Ball as well and the atmosphere was electric.”
While some have criticised a comparative lack of events in this year’s programme, Cyril says that the committee did their very best with the resources they had.
“Some people might say that there wasn’t much happening,” he said. “But it was some achievement doing what we did with three people. We had help from some others, but it’s a lot of work.”
Cyril has now expressed concern over next year’s festival ahead of the AGM which takes place on July 25.
“Well next year is the 50th and whether we can make a special effort or not will depend on the amount of people in the room at the AGM,” he said. “For whatever reason, it’s tough to get support. We need people to come on board and get involved with the committee. It would be a pity if we couldn’t do something special next year.”
Cyril thanked everyone who supported this year’s festival and lent a hand with the committee in organising and he’s hoping that even more people locally will get involved ahead of the 50th Annual Strawberry Fair.
Elena O’Connor, Ciara O’Connor and Sarah Martin are pictured at the Enniscorthy Strawberry, Music and Food Festival. Pic: Christy Farrell