Inverness Summer Festival
Details of the programme for the 2010 Inverness Summer Festival were announced at a press conference held in Inverness Town House today (May 24th) by Provost Jimmy Gray.
The Inverness Common Good Fund sponsored Summer Festival will run for 13 weeks and will commence on Saturday June 19 with the Marymas Medieval Fair.
Among the many events taking place during the festival period will be the Inverness Highland Games and Armed Forces Day celebrations on July 24th and the Inverness Tattoo which runs from July 26 – August 1. August’s highlights will include Scotland’s Housing Expo August 1-30; the Inverness Book Festival August 12-15 and the Inverness Flower Show August 28-29. September’s highlights will include the Inverness Raft and Duck Race September 5 the Blas Festival September 3-12 and the traditional Kirking of the Council ceremony on September 12.
This year’s Festival will be supported by a 13 week marketing campaign sponsored by New Century Publishing, the Inverness Business Improvement District and Eastgate Shopping Centre backed by the official Summer Festival website at www.invernessfestivals.com which will feature a comprehensive “What’s On Diary” and Festival Gallery.
One of this year’s festival eagerly anticipated events looks set to take place on July 24th when the City’s Highland Games returns home to Northern Meeting Park after a 72 year absence.
The move to Northern Meeting Park has enabled the Games to be merged with the city’s Armed Forces Day Celebrations and with over 800 additional participants taking part, the new combined event looks set to be one of Scotland’s largest and most spectacular summer Gatherings.
It is planned that the day will feature a parade through the streets of Inverness with 10 Pipes and Drums and Military Bands marching proudly in front of hundreds of former Armed Forces Men and Women and their families. Joining the Games Chieftain to take the salute outside the Columba Hotel will be this year’s guest of honour Major General The Honourable Seymour Munro.
In order to accommodate the crowds that are expected to head for the Northern Meeting Park on the day, arrangements have been made for the Games to start an hour earlier at 10am and for the Waterside Hotel sponsored Solo Piping Competitions to be held on the lawns outside Eden Court. In addition it is planned that the whole car park at the rear of the Highland Council HQ will be used to house the giant Traders Village, Beer Tent, Catering Stalls and Highland Dancing and Traditional Music Areas.
Car parking for the event will see the continued use of normal Highland Games Car Park at Bught Park with a bus shuttle service in operation along the riverside for those who wish to use it on the day. Disabled Parking for the event will be located at the front of the Highland Council HQ building.
Games Chieftain Provost Jimmy Gray said: “I would like to thank the members of the Inverness Festivals team and our sponsors for helping us to showcase everything that is going on in Inverness this summer. I should also like to thank all the community groups who have worked so hard to enable us take the Highland Games home in July and issue a special thank you to everybody on the Armed Forces Day Committee who have helped us to guarantee that Inverness will have one of the most spectacular Gatherings ever seen.”