The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Shane Ross, will officially open the Taste of the Lakelands Food Festival and World Predator Boat Fishing Championships at 2:30pm.
The events are already under way with the trials for the World Predator Boat Fishing Championships having commenced yesterday, and an opening Mardi Gras’ style family festival parade held yesterday evening.
This morning the Food Festival Marquee opened it’s doors at 11am with local school children receiving a Brown Bread Baking lesson.
Following the official opening there will be a Business to Business for Food Produces in St Marys Hall from 3 – 4:30pm. Chef Gary O’Hanlon from TV3’s The Restaurant will perform a Cooking Demonstration in the Marquee from 4:30pm. He will be followed at 5:30pm by Chef Mark McCarthy cooking “The Great Left Overs”. At the same time the teams competition in the Fishing Championship will attend a Drinks Reception.
At 8pm the Roscommon Solstice Choir will perform in the Festival Marquee and at 8.30 pm there will be a special celebrity cook-off between the ICA ladies of Roscommon and Longford with assistance from Roses Caroline Doyle and Aisling McNeill at 8.30 pm. Admission is €10 and proceeds go to Pieta House, Athlone.
Saturday
The World Predator Boat Fishing Championships begin at 8am, with competitors from 17 countries in action. The food demonstrations will continue from 10am with TV chef Kevin Dundon featuring between 2 and 4pm. There will be a kids’ disco in the Festival Marquee at 7pm and at 9pm a special Community event will be held in the Marquee with details to be confirmed here
Sunday
The World Fishing Championships will conclude with fishing from 10 am to 4 pm. At 1pm the “Blueways Blowout” water sports display takes place on the Shannon and includes Kayaking, Zorbing, Angling lessons for kids and a HB Ice-Cream festival. The events will conclude with an invitation only gala dinner and presentation of medals for the World Predator Boat Fishing Championships competitors at 8pm.