Now in its 9th year the Christmas Tractors Parade in Carrick on Suir promises to be bigger and brighter than ever this weekend.
Over 50 tractors festooned with lights will pass through villages in Kilkenny and Waterford on Saturday evening before reaching their final destination of Carrick on Suir.
Stuart Downie is one of the organisers of the spectacle which has spawned similar events right across the country.
“Mechanical mayhem – that’s the best way of describing it.
“Every year we build on the lighting systems a bit more. You’d have lights that you’d have had on the tractor from last year – you buy more lights. You just keep adding to it.
“It’s a competition without anyone saying it’s a competition you know. You could meet one of the lads buying lights and you’d be looking at his basket and thinking he has ten boxes – I’ll get twelve.”
The parade will again raise funds for the Clare’s Wish Foundation this year.
The tractors will pass through Piltown in South Kilkenny at around 5.30 on Saturday evening, Portlaw in County Waterford by 6 and the outskirts of Carrick on Suir by 7.
Stuart says their final destination will be the Town Hall car park in Carrick.
“There’ll be amusement there and a few vendors with hot food & coffee and there’ll be model tractors for sale. Then there’ll be 55 of us trying to squeeze in there as well.
“We’re sticking with Clare’s Wish – it’s a charity that is close to our hearts. They do great work for adults – they’re like a Make a Wish Foundation for adults.”
