Facepaint, food and family fun in Blackpool village
By Finnian Cox
The centre of historic Blackpool will transform into a paradise for kids this Saturday with a very special event taking place.
This bank holiday weekend, Blackpool Tidy Village committee are inviting locals to take part in their Family Fun Day on Saturday 6 June.
The Blackpool Plaza on Thomas Davis St by the church will become a hub of activity, with face painting, arts and crafts, live music and more, as well as free refreshments.
Entering the third year of what is becoming an annual tradition, the volunteer organisers expect high numbers after last year saw over 200 children and families taking part in the festivities.
Due to the success of previous years, the committee are hoping for a double bill this year and a repeat of previously fine weather, with a second day planned for some time in September.
Though before 2024, the Tidy Village volunteers mainly took part in activities such as litter picking, flower planting and mural painting, Chairperson Teresa O’Brien described newer events like this one as equally important.
She said: “It’s very rewarding to see everyone out enjoying themselves mixing and chatting,” she said, placing emphasis on how much it brings the area together.
“It gives people more interest in their locality and it’s a great way to encourage pride in our community,” she added.
The organisers describe the event as an ‘old style fun day’, something that Teresa believes is missed in a lot of areas - based on the high attendance, her belief is a popular one.
She described the positive reactions of a number of the attendees, with one grandmother enquiring if it was on every weekend.
“I thought to myself, wouldn’t that be great?” said Teresa.
“It’s badly needed; people need more outlets for their kids.”
Like many places in Ireland, Blackpool has a number of newer residents from outside Ireland, and it is one of the goals of the Fun Day to help them feel welcome in their new community.
As a result, to give them an idea of ‘local cuisine’, Tayto sandwiches will be available at the refreshments table, alongside cakes, sandwiches and fruit.
The event is supported by Cork City Council, Cork City Parks Dept, Cork City Partnership, the HSE and the Blackpool Community Centre.
This article was produced with the support of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme funded by Coimisiún na Meán.