Nobber Fair plans to build on success of past events

Nobber plans to be en fete again this year on Sunday 16th May for the village's fourth annual Nobber Fair Day, which annually attracts thousands to the north Meath village. The event is organised by Nobber Vintage Club and will begin at 12 noon and run until 7pm. Each year, it's an early start for the Nobber Vintage Club committee members who organise pens and enclosures for the many different animals and various items that go on display throughout the village. Roads into the village will be closed from 9am till 7pm to accommodate the setting up of stalls and later to pack up after what is always a very enjoyable day. This year, for the first time ever in Nobber, the event will include a vintage tractor and classic cars display, which is being organised by the Nobber Vintage Club. All vintage cars and tractors must be on the display site, which will be located in the field behind Nobber Primary School, by 10.30am. Entrance for the site of the display will be from the Kingscourt and the Navan roads. Anyone wishing to book a place in it can ring club member James Carolan on (087) 252 7086. Live music will be performed on a stage in the centre of the village and this year's artistes will include country music singer Matt Leavy with Charlie Arkins and Old Stage Coach, the band Poitín. Matt Leavy recently toured with American county singer George Hamilton IV. The Nobber Fair in 2007 was the first Nobber Fair Day since 1952 and proved to be a great success, enjoying great weather and a huge turnout to view the animals on display at the old-style fair, including bronze turkeys, geese, Rhode Island red hens, bantams, horses and foals, donkeys and foals, sheep and cattle. Shops will be decorated in the fashion of a bygone era and there will be a competition for the best-dressed shop front. As with the previous three events, there will be an extensive and colourful array of children's amusements. Activities to be availed of will include go-kart racing, a dunking chair, a penalty shoot-out competition, skittles and many more yet to be confirmed. As with the previous fairs, visitors can sample a delicious taste of spit-roasted pig. The club has donated money to various charities over the last number of years. Just last November, the club ran a fundraising tractor run which realised €3,800 for the autism unit in O'Carolan College, Nobber. The cervical cancer vaccination project run by Nobber Vintage Club over the last year using proceeds from the 2009 Nobber Fair, in primary schools in Nobber, Drumconrath and Castletown is now complete. The Nobber Vintage Club ran the project over the last year following the cancellation by the Government early last year of the national cervical cancer vaccination programme. All animals and stalls must be booked prior to the event. Stalls can be booked by ringing club member Christopher Duffy on (087) 686 2284 and places for animals must be booked by ringing Tony Cassidy on (087) 290 1834. The entrance fee into Nobber Fair will be €10. Roads into the village will be closed from 9am till 7pm. Nobber Vintage Club will be taking part in the vintage run taking place in Oldcastle on Sunday 25th April. The club will also be participating in a charity road run in Tierworker on 2nd May. Nobber Vintage Club's next meeting is on Tuesday 27th April at 9pm in Nobber Community Hall to continue preparations for the fair.