THE St Patrick’s Day Cross Community Carnival Parade in Downpatrick is all set once again to woo the huge crowds as the highlight of  the annual St Patrick’s Day celebrations.
The theme for this year’s St Patrick’s Day Cross Community Carnival Parade is ‘World Music & Dance’.
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Salsa dancers in last year’s St Patrick’s parade.[/caption]
The parade will be held in Downpatrick on Monday 17 March 2014 at 2.30pm and the event will once again be a colourful cavalcade of floats, performers, people in fancy dress, entertainment, and many other interesting attractions, which will be mingled with music and dance from around the world.
With just over five weeks to go to the parade, Down District Council supporting the festival and parade is reminding interested organisations that the closing date for parade entries is Friday 28 February 2014.
Community, voluntary, statutory and commercial organisations can take part in the cross-community parade by:
* Â entering an entertaining float, vehicle or attraction in the parade, or;
* Â walking in the parade in fancy dress, traditional costume or club colours.
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The parade makes its way into the centre of Downpatrick last year.[/caption]
Non-commercial groups entering the parade will receive an attendance fee of £100.00 and all parade entrants will receive refreshment vouchers and a certificate of participation.
There will be the usual fiercely contested, but friendly and good humoured, competition between entrants who will be applying their interpretation of the ‘World Music & Dance’ theme to their entry in an attempt to pick up one of the five best group entry awards of £200.00.
The parade will assemble on the Ardglass Road from 1.00pm and will depart at 2.30pm along Edward Street, John Street, Irish Street and Market Street to the finish area in Market Street Car Park. It is estimated that the parade will arrive in the town centre at approximately 2.50pm.
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All dressed up for the St Patrick’s parade in Downpatrick.[/caption]
All road junctions and exits/entrances along the parade route will be closed to traffic from approximately 2.00pm and will reopen at approximately 4.00pm.
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Further information about the parade, including rules and conditions of entry, and entry forms, can be obtained by contacting: Community Relations and Development Section, Down District Council, Downshire Civic Centre, Downshire Estate, Ardglass Road, Downpatrick BT30 6GQ, telephone: 028 4461 0853.
The closing date for the receipt of entries for the parade is Friday 28 February 2014.
(Down District Council wishes to acknowledge the financial support it is receiving towards the parade from OFMDFM.)
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