All set to sparkle and glisten, the 10th Christmas Tractors of Carrick-on-Suir will take place on Saturday, December 16, with a record number of participants.
The eagerly awaited Christmas spectacular, which sees tractors illuminated with an array of festive lights on parade, is organised annually by The Crop Cruisers.
Stuart Downie, dairy farmer of The Crop Cruisers, said:
“The event, which has been hailed as a light show like no other, started a nationwide phenomenon. It appeals to people of all ages. We have people travelling from all over the country and abroad. Some people in Australia and New Zealand take their Christmas holidays home to coincide with the event.”
Departing a secret location at 5:00p.m on December 16, the 10th convoy will arrive at the town hall in Carrick-on-Suir at 7:00p.m.
The route of the agri ‘sparkle fest’ will take in Piltown, Fiddown, Portlaw, Clonea and Rathgormack.
A huge effort goes into organising the festooned run, which has featured on Canadian television in the past – “I’m in my 10th year of taking part, and have spent thousands on improving my entry every year,” Stuart said.
Amusements, food stalls and vendors will form a mini Christmas market in Carrick-on-Suir for the occasion.
Stuart dreamed up the idea for the magical event after a friend went to see the Coca Cola truck and expressed disappointment with the experience: “She said she would rather look at tractors on the streets of Carrick, so I took a mad notion to line up illuminated tractors for Christmas,” he said.
The event has caught the imagination of people annually ever since.