VISITORS from Forres’ two twin partners will kick off the weekend of Piping At Forres with a celebration in Grant Park.
Guests from Vienenburg in Germany, and two students from Mount Dora in America which are both twinned with Forres will descend on the town the night before the piping extravaganza for a fundraising event.
The party was the idea of sixth year Forres Academy student Laura MacPherson Zieger who approached Forres Events Limited, the organisers of the European Pipe Band Championships to hold the event.
The event is being held to raise money to send two Forres Academy pupils to Mount Dora on exchange next year, plus a number of younger pupils to Vienenburg in the following year.
Laura said: “I heard about the Chieftain’s Marquee when a representative from Piping At Forres and Forres Rotary Club came into the school to do mock interviews with us to prepare us for university and job interviews. One of the questions I was asked is what I would use the Chieftain’s Marquee for and it made sense to use it for a fundraising event. That’s really where the idea started.”
The event which will feature The Dunphail Ceilidh Band and the German guests singing folk songs will take place on June 23.
David MacFarquhar, chairman of the Forres-Vienenburg Twining Association which is supporting the event and has been involved in the organisation of the celebration said: “This is going to be a fantastic event and is a great way to kick off what is going to be a spectacular weekend for the town of Forres. Laura and her team have put in such a huge amount of work and tickets are already like gold dust.”.
Tickets priced at £10 must be purchased in advance. They are on sale at the Fact Office in Leask Road.