Dancers get into the Irish spirit yesterday
IT WAS a family feel at yesterday's Franklin Village Fair, complete with Irish dancers for St Patrick's Day.
The fair included family events at Franklin House in Youngtown and surrounding businesses.
Franklin House property manager Hilary Keeley said the National Trust-owned property was promoting the area as Franklin Village, as it was known in the early 1800s.
She said the Franklin Village postcode still existed, as did many of the original buildings, and now residents were trying to recreate that village feel.
Ms Keeley said the aim was to set up interpretive signs around the village explaining the history of the buildings and other sites, both existing and lost.
Yesterday, Ms Keeley said more than 700 people visited the first fair, which is set to become a yearly event.
She said the entertainment included a performance by the Launceston-based Aileen Poynter Irish Dancers, which was appropriate as yesterday celebrated St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.
Other events included old-style games such as horseshoe tossing and a coconut shy, plus food and drink, art displays, a blessing of the pets at historic St James Anglican Church, tours of businesses, history presentations and a range of stalls.
``It was a lovely family feel and a good community event,'' she said.
``It was an event where businesses and organisations came together to celebrate Franklin Village.''
