Fireworks soared, boats bobbed and songs were sung as thousands of people celebrated the 2023 Kirkintilloch Canal Festival.
There were waves of excitement during the free live concert on the Saturday night at Southbank Marina and across the town on the Sunday Funday – 26 and 27 August.
Tribute has been paid to everyone who set a course for Kirkintilloch and helped to make it a triumphant return for the festival, which is organised by East Dunbartonshire Council and partners.
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Highlights included:
- The Saturday evening – at Southbank Marina – which offered a live concert, fireworks, refreshments and funfair rides. There were also boat trips during the day and the Spirit of Alba Festival at Kirkintilloch Town Hall.
- The Sunday Funday – at the Marina, Cowgate, Townhead and Barleybank – which included music and dance performances, a free Family Fun Zone at Kirkintilloch Baptist Church, market stalls, classic cars, canoeing, archery, roller skating, police/fire vehicles, a colouring-in competition, silent walking discos and more.
- A total of 140 toys took the plunge as part of the Teddy Bear Parachute Challenge at St Mary's Parish Church on the Sunday
- Kirkintilloch Male Voice Choir 'popped up' to sing in various locations on the Sunday and raised £300 for Glasgow Children's Hospital Charity.
In addition, there were a series of free and paid-for boat trips during the days leading up to the weekend.
A huge thank-you to everyone who attended the festival and helped create such a great atmosphere, especially those who withstood the rain on the Saturday night. The temporary deluge was not part of the scheduled line-up, but thankfully it didn’t dampen the enthusiasm and everything went ahead as planned.
"I also want to pay tribute to the many partners, organisations, traders, volunteers and helpers who worked tirelessly to ensure it was such a successful event. The festival attracted thousands of people to East Dunbartonshire – shining a spotlight on local amenities, businesses and services."
The Council worked with partners such as Kirkintilloch Baptist Church, the Regent Centre, Police Scotland, New College Lanarkshire, the Forth and Clyde Canal Society, the Seagull Trust, Scottish Canals, East Dunbartonshire Leisure and Culture Trust, Your Kirky and local traders.
Support was secured from the National Lottery Community Fund and Paths for All.
