Westport Arts Festival Community Parade, in conjunction withWestport Smarter Travel and Leave No Trace Ireland,will celebrate the theme of Seashore and Folklore. The procession will present a visual spectacle about the legendary origin of the Harp and Selkie. Featuring a giant 20-foot sculpture of a whale made by local Macnas artists Tom Meskell and Gerr Sweeney with sound scape, selkies, surf dancers and harps led by schoolchildren and the Westport community.
The educational team from Leave No trace-Ireland worked with the Westport Arts Festival team and our local schools to examine the local marine environment in Clew Bay, learning to protect and enjoy it and “Leave no Trace”. Our marine champions learned about tides, seashore plants, birds and animal life to discover how they adapt to extreme conditions, impacted by discarded non-biodegradeable rubbish.
Award-winning Gaelic artist Ariel Killick and theatre school director Aoife Carr joined us to add dance and art workshops throughout September combining maritime folklore with environmental responsibilities.
The family event will start at the Sacred Heart School, parade up Bridge Street, march along Shop Street and gather together at the Octagon for the final extravaganza. We would like to thank Nicky Dowd, Westport Arts Festival, The Westport Mens Shed, Mayo County Council, our local musicians and Wesport Radio for all their support with this year’s parade.
