Residents and locals of Derrylin in Co Fermanagh have an action-packed weekend ahead with the Derrylin Festival taking place from Friday to Sunday.
The first outdoor festival of its kind in the village will see an array of talent on show, from musical performances to theatre, flashmobs and dance.
The event is being run by the Derrylin Dramatic Society, whose director Debbie Murphy said it was a way of bringing the local community together through art after what has been a difficult two years.
Debbie told MyFermanagh: “During Covid we were about to stage a five-night show in March and we had to pull out because of the lockdown, so we had a think of how we could return back to drama.
“We started to think about doing different things, so we did some live streamed performances at the Ardhowen.
“We then came up with this notion of an outdoor play, it started off very small like that and it has now grown into something bigger."
A series of performances will take place over the weekend in the local school and parish centre in Derrylin, as well as a family picnic, street entertainment and a yarn bombing exhibition.
Debbie said: “Hopefully we’ll have something for everyone, and hopefully we get the weather!
“This is a venture into the unknown for us as we are just so used to having performances on stage.
“It’s a bit risky as drama needs good sound and good lighting and things like that, and we’re not sure how that will transfer outdoors but we are hoping for the best.
“We are cut off from the main town, so this is a great opportunity for local people to come together in a safe environment and to re-engage socially with others in the area.
“It will be great for people to see each other again and to feel that bit of normality.”
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