The highlight of Lossiemouth’s social calendar, the sixth annual Seafest, concluded yesterday with a special outdoor event.
As the curtain fell on the week-long celebration of the coastal town and its varied residents, it was estimated that more than 4,000 people visited and took part in the many events taking place throughout the festivities.
As a final hurrah, an outdoor songs of praise was held on Clifton Road which brought together all the local churches with the community for a service of thanks and blessing of the sea.
It is the sixth annual Seafest extravaganza to be held and organisers believe it has grown in popularity year-on-year.
Lossiemouth community council chairman Mike Mulholland praised all the volunteers who devised the plethora of different activities which were the catalyst for the town being inundated with visitors.
He said: “We are really happy with how everything has gone so far as every event was fully booked with no space, which is really fantastic.
“That shows how popular Seafest has become over the years and once again the volunteers have worked extremely hard to organise and set up all the various events.
“Every year, we try to improve through learning about what works and adding different things to the mix.”
One of the most popular aspects of Seafest was the kartie competition, where local children design and build their own go-karts before having them judged.
In addition to this, shop owners throughout the town are encouraged to decorate their fronts with a sea-themed design and the winner was Fred’s Threads on the High Street, which featured a striking underwater display.
The crowning glory of Seafest was Saturday’s family fun day and inaugural 5k forest run where about 4,500 people attended the stalls and enjoyed demonstrations by various local groups, including a visit from the Buckie Lifeboat.
Now, as the dust settles on another successful event for the residents of Lossiemouth, Mr Mulholland has hailed the strength of the town’s can-do attitude.
He said: “Seafest has grown massively and this year is another example of the huge community spirit we have in Lossiemouth.
“It has been another success and shows how it is a good time for Lossie right now, with different community groups working together and the amount of investment coming in.
“Events like this bring everyone together.”