Newcastle once again hosted Down District Council’s Hallowtides Festival which was organised in conjunction with Newcastle Chamber of Commerce, and offered over 30 events featuring live music, theatre, storytelling, comedy, street entertainment, dance and magic! 

The festival was a phenomenal success, with event after event drawing large numbers into Newcastle and surrounding towns in the district. The festival opened with Dracula: The Panto and the Lost Trains to Newcastle Slideshow on Wednesday 29 October, followed by the Search For A Star Live Final on Thursday 30 October. Twenty-five young hopefuls made it through auditions and excitedly took to the stage to amaze and astound the sold-out audience. Such was the diversity and quality of each act, that the judges found it an almost impossible job to choose the winners, but Rachel Stewart aged just 12 years stole their hearts with a passionate rendition of Celine Dion’s ‘Think Twice’, to win first prize in the competition, a cheque for £250. Young rock band ‘Children of Yesterday’, aka Adam Leahy, Alistair McCullough and John Reid were a worthy runner up receiving a cheque for £150, followed by Sarah King who received a cheque for £100 as second runner up.

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