All You Need To Know About The Fun And Fashion During Listowel Harvest Racing Festival

THE countdown is truly on for the highlight of the sporting and social calendar in north Kerry — the 168th Listowel Harvest Racing Festival.

From Sunday, September 20th to Saturday the 26th, Listowel becomes the ultimate destination for seven days of first-class racing, fabulous fashion, music, family entertainment and plenty of fun.

The meeting attracts large crowds from home and abroad who come to enjoy the thrill of National Hunt and Flat racing, the company of friends old and new, people watching, style spotting and, above all, creating memories.

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The festival opens on Sunday, September 20 with Kinisla Family Day, a fun-filled day designed to get the whole family into the Harvest Festival spirit.

There will be meet-and-greets with favourite cartoon characters, alpacas, face painting, balloon giveaways, bouncing castles and a mini disco, with free children’s entertainment sponsored by Garvey’s SuperValu.

And this year, there may even be a visitor from another world… as Alfie the Alien is expected to make a special guest appearance. To celebrate his return, there will also be prizes for anyone who dresses up as an alien from any solar system on the day.

The race card is sponsored by Kinisla and the feature race is the Kinisla Handicap Steeplechase of €45,000.

The feature race on Monday is the John McGuire Handicap of €50,000 while Tuesday’s feature race is the Edmund & Josie Whelan Memorial Stakes of €50,000.

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Wednesday is the day the festival reaches fever pitch as the Guinness Kerry National Handicap Steeplechase, a €200,000 Grade A race, takes centre stage.

Wednesday also marks the beginning of some of the festival’s biggest free entertainment nights, with Big Jim playing in Captain Christies and The Galivanters performing outside the Owners and Trainers.

Thursday puts the spotlight firmly on the gentlemen with the return of the Ryle Menswear Best Dressed Man Competition, hosted by owner Michael Moran and judged by the ever-dapper Botty O’Callaghan.

The overall winner will receive a custom-made suit worth €1,500, while the runner-up will take home a full Benetti suit, shirt and tie. Ryle Menswear will also provide gift bags for all finalists.

The feature race is the Listowel Races Supporters Club Lartigue Hurdle in memory of John Molyneaux, of €60,000.

The fashion highlight of the week is the McElligotts Kia Ladies Day on Friday 25th of September.

This year’s judges Aoife Dunican, known to her many Instagram followers as The Style Bob, and Raceday TV presenter and content creator Frankie Foster will be on course looking for the most stylish racegoers from 1.30pm.

So make sure to come along early and be out and about if you want the chance to be selected as one of the 10 finalists.

The Best Dressed Lady will win a luxurious week-long holiday for two at the four-star Hotel Astoria in Sorrento, the gateway to Italy’s spectacular Amalfi Coast.

This year marks the 12th consecutive year of McElligotts’ sponsorship of one of Irish racing’s most prestigious fashion competitions.

There are also generous prizes for individual fashion categories, including €1,000 for the Most Creative Headpiece and €500 for the Most Contemporary Outfit.

The judges will be out and about on course from 1.30pm selecting their ten finalists. The finalists will then be interviewed on the fashion stage, with the overall winners also appearing in the parade ring after the fifth race.

The “Save Your Heels, We’ve Got Wheels” free shuttle bus is a complimentary double-decker open-top bus that runs during Ladies Day from the town square to the racecourse every half hour.

On board there is jazz music and also complimentary bubbles and the bus will drop racegoers to the main front gate, ensuring they arrive in style!

The feature race on Friday is the Ballymore Handicap Hurdle, a €100,000 Listed race. Friday night will continue in style with top DJ Marty Guilfoyle performing in the Marquee Bar.

The Harvest Festival draws to a close on Saturday with a celebration of fashion with a conscience as Listowel hosts its Sustainable Style Competition, organised by Listowel Tidy Towns in association with An Taisce and Listowel Races.

Now in its 15th year, the competition is open to both male and female racegoers and is a Listowel Tidy Towns initiative highlighting waste minimisation, sustainable fashion and the circular economy.

This year’s competition will be judged by top model and influencer Paula Price, together with a representative from An Taisce. Paula loves timeless classic style, preloved finds and sustainable fashion and will be out and about on the course with her fellow judge from 1.30pm, so make sure to arrive on time

Racegoers are encouraged to re-wear, re-style, recycle and repurpose, whether that means giving a much-loved item from the back of the wardrobe a new lease of life, creating an outfit from an original material or discovering a pre-loved gem in a charity shop. Proving great style has no age—and fashion can be fabulous, conscious and timeless.

There are generous cash prizes and gifts across a number of categories:

• Most Sustainably Attired Racegoer: €500, sponsored by Listowel Race Company. The runner-up receives a goody bag sponsored by the businesses of Listowel.

• Best Vintage / Pre-Loved Attired Racegoer: €300, sponsored by Higgins Waste & Recycling Ltd. The runner-up receives a goody bag sponsored by the businesses of Listowel.

• Most Sustainable Attired Under-16 Racegoer: €200, sponsored by John McGuire Pharmacy. The runner-up receives a goody bag sponsored by the businesses of Listowel.

All remaining finalists will receive fabulous goody bags sponsored by the businesses of Listowel.

New sponsor Higgins Waste will also bring an extra element of fun to the day, with racegoers getting the chance to win €200 by guessing the weight of a bundle of cardboard.

The judges will select ten finalists from the course during the afternoon and all will be interviewed on the fashion stage, with the overall winners presented in the parade ring after the 4th race.

The feature race on Saturday is the Charlie Chute Memorial Steeplechase, worth €50,000. Marty Guilfoyle will also perform in the Marquee Bar on Saturday as the festival comes to a close.

There will be music during and after racing throughout the week, with top DJs and live acts adding to the unique Listowel atmosphere.

Highlights include Big Jim in Captain Christies from Wednesday to Sunday, The Galivanters outside the Owners and Trainers on Wednesday, and Marty Guilfoyle in the Marquee Bar on Friday and Saturday.

Frankie Foster and Raceday TV will also be on course capturing the action, fashion and atmosphere on Thursday and Friday.

Once again, TG4 will broadcast live from Listowel Races from Monday to Saturday, bringing the excitement of the Harvest Festival to audiences at home and beyond.

Racegoers can make the most of the opening three days with the €30 Combo Party Pack. The party pack includes: Admission to the races; a pint of beer or stout; burger and chips and a €5 Tote bet.

The offer is available from Sunday 20th to Tuesday 22nd September and must be pre-booked online. Party Packs can be collected from the Parade Ring Racecard Hut.

For those looking to enjoy the Harvest Festival in comfort, there is still availability on most days in the luxury Corporate Suite, but book now as Ladies Day is already sold out.

The package includes a glass of bubbles on arrival, a delicious three-course meal, tea and coffee, race card, reserved table for the day, Tote and waiter service.

For bookings and information, contact Excellent Choice Catering via sales@excellentchoice.ie.

Racegoers are encouraged to pre-book tickets online at www.listowelraces.ie to save time and money. There is €5 off all general admission tickets and group discounts by booking online.

General admission prices are:
• Sunday, Monday and Tuesday: €20 at the gate
•Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday: €30 at the gate
•Seven-day ticket: €145
•Online booking: €5 off general admission tickets
•Groups of 20 or more: 20% online discount