Rose of Tralee to switch on Mullingar's Christmas lights tomorrow evening
The Mullingar Christmas lights will be switched on by one of the people who made 2022 a year to remember for Westmeath. Rose of Tralee winner Rachel Duffy has been given the honour of officially starting the Christmas season in Mullingar at 5.30pm on Friday December 2.
This year's Winterfest in Mullingar got underway last weekend with the opening of the Christmas Market and Santa's Grotto at the Railway Market. The Christmas Market will be opened every Saturday and Sunday in the run up to Christmas.
Outdoor cinema
As part of this year’s WinterFest, Mullingar Chamber and Lis Café/ Apache Pizza Mullingar will be hosting a drive-In cinema at Tudenham, Lough Ennell. The dates for the movie showings are December 3, 4, 9, 10, 16 and 17. The films that will be shown include Home Alone 1 and 2, Jack Frost, Bing Crosby’s White Christmas, The Polar Express and The Santa Clause. Booking will be opened in the coming days on Mullingar.ie through Eventbrite.
Adding to the Niall Horan mural on Dominick Street, and the umbrellas and angle wings image at Meeting House Lane, Mullingar Chamber will be creating more Instagram friendly features in town, including at the Market Square and on Daly’s Bar. The chamber will also be working with the artist that painted the angel wings at Meeting House Lane, Beata Pietrzak Art, on Christmas art projects.
The Mullingar Chamber and Mullingar.ie team are also working on a Christmas events guide to promote all the activities happening in town and district, including the panto at the arts centre and Land of Lights at Belvedere. They are also creating a schedule of events for the Market Square and other locations in town and district.
One of the popular attractions at previous WinterFests, the skating rink, won’t be returning this year.
In a statement released to the local media, Mullingar Chamber say that “despite the best efforts, we have been unable to secure viable insurance and amenity delivery of ice skating in Mullingar this Christmas”.
“This issue arises for a number of reasons, primarily the increase in fuel costs and secondarily the incredible cost of insurance for this event. Having considered all alternatives and options, the chamber are unable to open ‘Mullingar Skates’ this Christmas.”
The chamber say that the 2022 WinterFest is “all about community and would like everyone to be involved”. If you would like to be involved through being a stall holder, sponsor, performer or otherwise email office@mullingarchamber.ie.