Thousands to flock to Enniscorthy for festival
OVER 25,000 visitors are expected to descend on Enniscorthy this weekend as the annual Rockin’ Food Festival gets underway. Despite somewhat inclement weather conditions last year, organisers say that an estimated 25,000 visitors arrived in town over the three days and they’re hopeful that this year will be even bigger and better!
Traffic and parking restrictions will be implemented from midnight on Friday night and a Garda Traffic Management Plan has been agreed with the festival organisers in order to facilitate traffic movement and to keep congestion to a minimum. The entire town centre will be traffic free for the duration of the festival which will have upwards of 80 stall holders showcasing Ireland and Wexford’s best artisan food products.
The festival programme contains a vast range of free events, live rock n’ roll gigs, cookery demonstrations, children’s entertainment and much more. It will also see the return of the popular Rockin’ Steam Train from Dublin which organisers say brought over 400 visitors to last year’s festival. The train will be greeted on arrival by the Enniscorthy Historical Re-enactment Group and Municipal Authority Chairman Cllr Willie Kavanagh. This year’s festival is sponsored by Jackford Irish Potato Gin and Creane & Creane Insurance and also received funding from Ireland’s Ancient East, Failte Ireland, Wexford County Council, the local Enterprise Office, Wexford Tourism and Taste Wexford with further sponsorship being provided by Top Tyres Ltd., Poacher’s Irish Tonic Water, Stamp’s Licensed premises, Treacy’s Hotel, C&R Print, The Riverside Park Hotel and Wexford Cheddar Cheese.
As well as being a festival aimed at attracting visitors to the town, it is hoped that the people of Enniscorthy will enjoy the jam-packed programme too and will be out in force over the weekend. For a full run-down of planned events, visit www. rockinfoodfestival.ie.