Despite some showery weather at the weekend, Commercial Street was packed with families enjoying live music and the Living Lerwick ‘Which Witch’ Halloween Trail.
The first ever ‘Peerie Hairst Spree’ was held in a marquee at the south end of the town centre with live music from a diverse selection of local bands, face-painting, craft activities and a bar provided by The Lounge.
Over 400 people attended the event throughout the day on Saturday with many businesses reporting brisk trade and high footfall along the length of the street. Alice and Lorraine got the music off to a great start accompanied by most of Rack and Ruin. The tempo ramped up later in the afternoon with a superb lively set from Ten Tonne Dozer with frontman Dave Kok on great form.
Sunday was a quieter day, but still attracted over 150 revellers over the course of the day to enjoy the music started off by a new young band from north Yell going by the name of ‘Oot o Tune’ but providing excellent harmonies and foot tapping tunes.
Living Lerwick Chairman, Steve Mathieson said “We wanted to try this kind of event to see if it worked in the area, and if the businesses and the public would engage with it. I think it’s safe to say there is definitely an appetite for this sort of thing and we will certainly be doing it again. We would like to thank the Lerwick Lifeboat for letting us use their marquee to test the format.
“The entertainment provided a focal point for people to come together and it seemed to be much appreciated. Feedback from businesses who are taking part in the Halloween trail has also been excellent with many shoppers finding new products and services they hadn’t been aware were on the Street. It’s a perfect lead into Christmas shopping which many people will be starting earlier this year.”
Living Lerwick were given £1000 funding from Lerwick Community Council in September towards the cost of a new marquee to provide events such as this, with the
remaining costs expected to come from a Scotland Loves Local grant from Scotland’s Town’s Partnership.
The town centre group are already planning future events for next year with thoughts of a Voar and Simmer Peerie Spree’s to follow on from the success of the Hairst event.
