Macnas push for volunteers – to help push Galway parade!

Want to play a part in the first ever Halloween parade by Macnas in Galway this weekend? Here’s your chance to throw your weight behind it.

 A special appeal for more than 80 able-bodied volunteers who are willing to push floats through the streets of the city has been issued by the arts group ahead of their parade next Sunday.

Macnas need the volunteers, aged over 16 years, to get in touch with them over the coming days and join over 300 costumed performers, puppeteers, and musicians, who will take over the streets of Galway for the ‘On the Night Journey’ parade from 4.45pm.

The Artistic Director, Noeline Kavanagh, said the combination of two weddings, a 50th birthday party, commitments to work at the Bulmers Comedy Festival, and concerts featuring Primal Scream and Chic had ruled may of their ‘regulars’ out of pushing the images around the streets this weekend.

“This is a unique opportunity for people to take part in their first Macnas parade,” said Ms Kavanagh yesterday. “We need people to push our images around and stewards, 83 in total. We’re short of people because there are so many things on in Galway this weekend and so many people are working at the comedy festival.”

She said the parade, which has moved from its traditional July slot for the first time, would feature a mixture of old and new images and feature outsiders and misfits, nightmares and dreams. The theme is ‘Imagination: The Joy of Dreaming’ and a crowd of up to 40,000 is expected to attend.

“I think Halloween is a really exciting time of year for children and families,” she said. “Having a big parade coming through the streets of the city at twilight can only add to that excitement, with puppets and images coming down the town.”

The parade is being organised in association with the Latin Quarter traders, who have also organised a Halloween Festival next weekend.

Traders in the West End have also been granted permission to close off William Street West to traffic, from the Blue Note to the Small Crane, in order to facilitate a Parade Party and Wild Food Festival on Sunday night, from 9pm to 2am.

Anyone who is willing to push a float around the streets of the city on Sunday afternoon is asked to email admin@macnas.com or telephone (091) 568896.

Read more in today’s Connacht Sentinel