Pieta House set to benefit as Hillfest returns for its fifth year
FRANKS, ASLAN AND HAM SANDWICH SET TO PLAY JUNE BANK-HOLIDAY FEST
THE village of Watergrasshill will be rocking over the June bank-holiday weekend with thousands of people expected to flock of one of Cork’s most eclectic and exciting summer festivals.
Now in its fifth year, Hillfest 2017 promises to be four days of pure, unadulterated fun featuring an impressive array of events that you will be hard pressed to find at any other community run festival in Ireland.
Over the course of four glorious days the village will be transformed into a hub of frantic activity, with locals issuing an open invitation to the public to come along and “enjoy the craic.”
With family entertainment including the by now traditional pig racing, a gruelling ‘ total wipeout’ course, paintball challenge open-air barbecues and a plethora of sporting events taking place over the weekend the village will be a veritable hives of activity.
This year’s Hillfest will have an exciting new dimension with a two-day music festival on Saturday and Sunday added to the programme, with 16 bands set to grace the specially erected arena in the heart of the north Cork village.
The festival will feature six hours of non-stop live music on each days with headline slots by some of Ireland’s top musical acts including Aslan, Brian Kennedy, Ham Sandwich, The Rubberbandits, Orchid Collective and Track Dogs.
The line-up will also feature plenty of Cork acts with the Frank and Walters, critically acclaimed upcoming Mitchelstown band Subject To Change, August Walk, Junction 12 and Watergrasshill native Kelsey Hoare among those set to grace the two festival stages.
Tickets for the music festival, priced at a pocket friendly €35 per day or €60 for a weekend pass, are available from www.eventbrite.ie, Pro Musica in Cork City and the Watergrasshill Post Office.
Hillfest spokeswoman Michelle Duff said the annual event, a joint initiative by the Watergrasshill Community Council and the local National School Association, is an opportunity for local groups to work together to raise much needed funds.
“All monies raised over the course of the weekend will go back into the local community, with a donation also going to a nominated charity partner,” said Michelle.
This years beneficiary will be Pieta House, with the donation going toward offsetting the cost of running and maintaining the charity’s dedicated Cork suicide and self help centre in Bishopstown.
“Pieta currently have up to 90 visitors to their Cork centre each day and sadly have a waiting list. It is this waiting list that events like Hillfest and last weekend’s hugely successful Darkness into Light fundraising initiative are trying to reduce,” said Michelle. “BY coming along and enjoying Hillfest 2017 you can help,play a role in achieving that goal and enjoy a great weekend of entertainment in the process,” she added.
For more information and to see the full programme of events over the packed weekend visit www.hillfest.rocks.ie.