Westport 250- A Comprehensive Guide to Upcoming Events, Festivals, and Celebrations

A major two-and-a-half century milestone is upon the town of Westport. The town celebrates its 250th birthday this year.

An advert placed in Faulkner’s Dublin Journal on March 17 1767 sought people and tradesmen to help build a new town of Westport situated around an Octagon enclosed with large, well-finished slated houses, together with avenues for streets of houses.

So with 250 years of history to celebrate, the townsfolk have planned a range of events to compliment their vast existing events programme. The goal of Westport 250 is to engage with the local community, the covey diaspora, and visitors to celebrate this landmark anniversary. Listed below is a comprehensive, month-by-month run-down of the events, festivals, and celebrations associated with the Westport 250 programme.

March:
Westport 250 Launch
Street Entertainment
250 Themed Parade
Westport Lions Club Clew Bay People of the Year Awards- March 24
Connacht Series Duathlon- March 25th
National Tidy Towns Conference (With RTE’s Dermot Bannon)- March 25th

April:
Coileán: Children’s Arts Festival- April 6-9th
4 day with Drama Music and Arts events
Workshops/ Theatre Performances/ Street Acts
Mayo Day: Celebrating the Mayoness of Westport– April 30th

May:
Acoustic Yard (Song writers) Festival– 5th to 7th
Westportif – Saturday 13th
Pedal Paddle Pilgrimage – Saturday 20th
The Westport Air Show
Spraoi at The Quay- Friday 19th to Sunday 21st
A festival weekend at Westport Harbour
International Mini Meet/ Rally – Thursday 25th to Sunday 28th
1,500/2,000 Mini Cars

June:
Grainne Ale/ Pirate Queen Festival- 2nd-4th June
50th Annual Westport Horse Show- 3rd and 4th June
Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival-9th-11th June
Westport Triathlon- 17th June
Sea Angling Festival- 23rd-25th June
Westport Food Festival- 23rd-25th June
Gael Force- 24th June
Clew Bay Garden Trail

July:
Covey Week 250 Special
Laurence Collection Exhibition
Westport Cycling Crit- 8th July
Last One Running- 23rd July
Traditional Croagh Patrick Pilgrimage Weekend- 28th-30th July

August:
Harvest Country Music Festival- August 26th-27th
Holiday Time Special
Free Family Street Events
A Variety of Street Performers

September:
Festival of Chamber Music- 8th-10th September
Westport of the Worlds- 14th-17th September
Visitors from Westports all over the world
Westport Arts Festival
250 Special

October:
Traditional Horse Fair
Westport Duathlon
Skate Festival
Halloween Fest- 27th-30th October
The Leeson Legacy – Irish Georgian Society Conference
History of Westport – Book launch
Launch of THE GREAT LEVIATHAN: The Life Of Howe Peter Brown 2nd Marquess of Sligo

November:
Rolling Sun Book Festival- 3rd-5th November
Sea to Summit- 11th November

December:
Westport Wonderland
Spectacular Christmas Themed Festival
Ice Rink – Fun Fair – Market Stalls