The Rose of Tralee.

The Rose of Tralee Festival

 

The Rose of Tralee International festival is celebrating 54 years of tradition this year. The Festival is one of Ireland’s largest and longest running festivals, the highlight of the festival is the selection of the Rose of Tralee which brings young women of Irish descent from around the world to County Kerry, for a global celebration of Irish culture. The festival also includes street entertainment, carnival, live concerts, theatre, circus, markets, funfair, fireworks and our internationally renowned Rose Parade and much more.

The street events range from the famous JLS in concert, costing 17.50, to Spin South West’s Sunset which is a free ticketed event. Other street music gigs include some class acts like Perfect friction, The young Folk, Declan Sinnot, Fred , and the lovely Nathan Carter  to name but a few.

The festival is also host to a number or workshops through the event. Workshops and entertainment includes: Set dancing workshops, Wobbly workshop, Budding Buds, Pony rides, Petting Zoo, Street dance workshop, Noah’s Ark Pet Show and many many more.

The Rose of Tralee Festival is fun-filled with parades and firework displays and the weekend line up for sparkles in the sky looks something like this:
SATURDAY – The first Parade of Roses on Saturday night under the Festival lights offers the people of Tralee their first opportunity to meet the Roses, while the event is always the Roses’ most memorable introduction to the people of Tralee. The climax of this emotional roller-coaster of an evening comes high in the sky over Tralee with the first fireworks display of the week.

SUNDAY – Since the beginning of the Rose of Tralee International Festival, Sunday has long-been the traditional family day in Tralee when the youngsters who were in bed the previous night get their first glimpse of the Roses, the floats and marching bands in the second parade.

TUESDAY – The centre-piece of the Festival is the selection of the Rose of Tralee and since the event began in 1959, tradition has been respected and cherished by the organisers. At midnight on the final night of the Festival, the Roses parade through the streets of Tralee before the newly crowned Rose of Tralee is presented to the people of Tralee and the thousands of visitors to the town. She is then serenaded against a backdrop of another fireworks display (Rocket Pyro-techniques).

Of Course with all the Festivities one would be forgiven for forgetting about the main event, crowning our lovely Rose of Tralee. This will take place on August 20th in the Dome in Tralee. The 2013 Rose of Tralee won’t simply be crowned on Tuesday 20th August, she will be crowned on Donal’s Day – a day the people of Tralee will dedicate to the memory of the late Donal Walsh, the teenager who passed away recently from Cancer. The Rose of Tralee International Festival have teamed up with the Donal Walsh #Livelife Foundation and on Donal’s Day, Tuesday 20th August, a special street collection will raise money for the charities and causes that were special to Donal.