Bridge Road comes into its own as venue for Listowel Fun Day

FAMILY Fun is rarely as novel as the big bag of belly-laughin’ events lined up for the Bridge Road as Listowel celebrates its second annual Threshing and Vintage Day.

Held at the rear of Church St last year and proving hugely successful, it was decided this time around to make the move to the Bridge Road all the better to expand.

And what better could you try to expand on than an event with such novel events as calf racing, donkey derby, a fancy-dress dog show and sheaf tossing, to name but four?

An initiative of the Tourism and Events sub-committee of the Listowel Business and Community Alliance, the Threshing and Vintage will also, of course, feature all the favourites expected of antique agricultural shows of its type: something for all the family.

“But the emphasis is very much on family fun too and we will have a lot on offer for our younger visitors, with big interest in the calf racing at present, an event you don’t see too often,” Tourism and Events Sub Committee chairperson Martin McCarthy told The Kerryman.

Likely a few youngsters will have to volunteer with a bucket of feed to entice the calves to run: all the ingredients of an hilarious spectacle.

“It’s just one of a number of novelty events running in the Family Fun part of the day that we hope will draw a big crowd in. We’ve lots more parking spaces close at hand this year so we’re hopeful of building on last year’s success,” Martin added.

He said it already is fulfilling its function as a single-day event to generate community and economic activity in the town centre on an otherwise quiet summer weekend. Taking place this Sunday, June 24, the big day out on Bridge Road begins at 12noon.