This year, Hilltown, County Down, Northern Ireland will host the 25th Anniversary of the Boley Fair festival, which begins on Friday evening, July 9th 2010, when locals, donning traditional costumes, will join with vintage enthusiasts and horses and traps to parade through the village. The annual Irish festival, which concludes on July 13th 2010, is centered on the local Sheep Show that traditionally takes place on the second Tuesday in July.

The Boley Fair has an ethos of Irish tradition and aims to bring rural skills and past-times of a bygone era to a wide audience of local people and visitors alike. Over the five-day period, fair goers can participate or simply enjoy the craic at a wide variety of events including music, dancing, sports, traditional skills and family events.

Highlights of the Boley Fair festival include a Blacksmith demonstration, mobile farm, food & craft market and storytelling. Pig racing and the Tug-o-War competition will happen on Sunday July 11th., and on Monday 12th July 2010, the Horse and Poultry Fair and ‘Boleys Got Talent’ takes place. The infamous “Big O” will be broadcasting live on Five FM from the Square from 1pm.

The Boley Fair’s Annual Sheep Show will be held on Tuesday 13th July 2010 in the centre of Hilltown village. It’s a colorful event to behold and a real glimpse into rural life as it was in the past. More traditional rural farming skills will be showcased in the afternoon with rope twisting and the Sheep Clipping Competition, which is still done by hand.

The fair culminates on Tuesday 13th July, with Stilt walking and fires demonstrations in the Square. Music in the Square for Ceili dancing will bring the fair to a close for another year on the Tuesday evening.

Programmes are available in all local shops around the Hilltown, Co Down area.

Copyright © Boley Fair Committee 2010 - For more information contact info@boleyfair.com