The Virginia Pumpkin Festival today announced its lineup for 2011 and this year it set to be the biggest and best yet with a jam packed programme for all the family. Now in its fifth year, the festival which takes place 28th-31st October is expected to attract up to 20,000 people to the quaint Cavan town this Halloween.
Headlining this year’s festival is The Waterboys who will be performing tracks from their critically acclaimed album ‘An appointment with Mr. Yeats’ as well as treating the audience to some of their best loved hits. With just 2,000 tickets available, it’s set to be one of their most intimate gigs to date. The talented young Cavan band The Strypes will be supporting the Waterboys on the night.
Another highlight of the festival is the annual Pumpkin weigh in which sees pumpkins from across Europe vie for the coveted accolade of ‘heaviest pumpkin’. Despite a relatively poor growing season for pumpkin farmers this year, the Festival is confident that there will be still plenty of contenders for this year’s title. Sure to be in the running are renowned English pumpkin growers, the Paton brothers who will be bringing over a pumpkin as heavy as a Fiat 500 car to the competition.
Other highlight’s of the festival include Ireland’s largest fancy dress party, a Halloween bonfire and back by popular demand the street parade which sees the town plunged into darkness and lit entirely by Jack-O-Lanterns.
