A fair held over the August Bank Holiday weekend is set to provide a welcome boost to a Co Antrim village.
The Whiteabbey Village Fair will run from August 27 to 29 and will consist of three days "packed to the brim" of activities for the whole family.
Described as a "carnival by the sea", the event will have live entertainment, street performances, artisan food markets, and plenty of activities to keep the young ones amused.
Read more: Co Antrim florist at the heart of group rallying to rejuvenate village
One of the event's organisers is local florist and Chair of the Whiteabbey Village Business Association, Derek Kernoghan. He said the festival provides a lift to local businesses and allows the local community to get to know each other better.
"It's all about trying to let people know the village is here and what kinds of businesses we have, and letting people know what kind of businesses we have. It really just perks the village up and helps get back into business after Covid," Derek told Belfast Live.
"The community shop in our shops, they pay our wages - without them we don't survive."
At the last community festival in 2019, 16,000 people visited the village over the two days. This year, with an extra day added, organisers are anticipating 24,000 people stopping by.
Derek said: "It's a lovely place. We're beside the shoreline, it's like a wee quiet hamlet.
"At the last festival, a number of elderly people who live locally came down and said they loved being able to walk down the street, with no hassle, no cars in sight. It was just so relaxed.
"It's that sort of thing, people can come out and enjoy themselves and get to know each other. You walk down a street and say hello to people, you recognise them, but when you run events like this it gets people talking and it brings the community together."
Derek said the festival is perfect for kids and families, but that people of all ages can come along and join in the fun over the long weekend.
Events will be running on Friday, Sunday and Monday from 12pm to 5pm, and from 12pm to 8pm on Saturday.
The Whiteabbey Village Fair is presented by the Whiteabbey Village Business Association, and supported by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council and Connswater.
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