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An open general meeting of the

Saintfield Development Association

will be held at 7.30 pm on Monday 6th January

in Saintfield Community Centre on Belfast Road

This is an opportunity to hear what your association is doing for the village and its plans for the future, and a chance for you to express your views and any concerns.

We are always on the lookout for new members, so if you would like to contribute to your community, you can help as a volunteer at one of our events or even join in the work of one of our small committees.

Come along and find out more – you will be made very welcome!

We hope to see you there!

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• – the Saintfield Development Association Events Team for the many volunteer hours they put in over the last three months, including coping with the growing bureaucracy associated with community activities.
• – the sponsors, donors and Newry, Mourne and Down Council for their financial contributions that make the event possible.
• – the pupils and teachers who made all the decorations for the Christmas tree and the volunteers who put the tree up, arranged the lights and put on the decorations.
• – volunteers from Saintfield United FC who put up and took down the gazebos.
• – volunteers from Saintfield Striders who staffed the barriers at the road closures.
• – the three local school choirs (and their teachers) who sang carols on the stage.
• – the children who took part in the lantern parade sponsored by Choice Housing, and Martin Phillips carpets for allowing use of premises for the lantern parade.
• – all the businesses that stayed open late.
• – and not forgetting the star of the evening – Santa, in his reindeer sleigh.

Santa will be at the Saintfield Christmas Fair from 7pm on Friday 6th December to launch the festive season in the town.
He will arrive on his sleigh pulled by two of his reindeer and will travel down Main Street escorted by children from local primary schools. He will park his sleigh outside the Orange Hall and switch on the lights on the Christmas tree sited there. Children will then be able to pose with the reindeer for photographs.
The Fair is the highlight of the year and is organised by the Events committee of the Saintfield Development Association. Funding for the fair is raised through donations from local traders and businesses as well as fund raising activities by the SDA. Without this financial support and the help of all the volunteers involved, this annual event would not be possible.
There will be lots of attractions to keep everyone entertained, including the ‘Last Person Standing’ game and a Paw Patrol toddler play zone. The popular mini steam train will also be there to give rides to the younger children. All the attractions are free, thanks to the financial support given for the fair.
Firepoise, Northern Ireland’s premier fire performance group, have been signed to perform their spectacular fire dancing act. They proved very popular when they last appeared at the fair a few years ago.
Choirs from local schools will perform seasonal songs and carols to put everyone in a festive mood and at 8pm there will be a parade of schoolchildren along Main Street displaying the lanterns they had made at workshops held in previous weeks.
There will be a number of stalls to browse on Main Street as well as a Christmas Market in Rowallane Hub, and many of the shops will remain open for the duration of the fair for late – night shopping.
Star Wars Stormtroopers will also be in attendance on the night!
Please note that Main Street will be closed to vehicular traffic from 6pm until the after the close of the Fair at 9pm to provide a safe environment for families, therefore motorists should make alternative travel arrangements during this period.

Here are some of the many lanterns made by children aged between 8 and 13 at the recent workshops held in Saintfield Community Centre.  The children will carry their lanterns in Santa’s Parade on the evening of Saintfield Christmas Fair, Friday 6th December.  Come along and see the results of their hard work!

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