Waterford is preparing to be taken over by the annual Spraoi festival, which organisers describe, with some justification, as the biggest street party in Ireland.
The event, with dozens of street entertainers, a diverse mix of musicians and a spectacular night-time parade, has become such an important part of the festivals calendar that it is hard to credit it is only seven years old.
For Waterford residents, an August bank holiday weekend without Spraoi is now unimaginable. Its organisers, however, are not taking the survival or continued popularity of the event for granted. Spraoi director T.V. Honan says that when this year's festival has finished he and his colleagues will step back to consider the direction of the organisation.
This is not to place a doubt over Spraoi's future. The organisation has big plans and intends to move into a custom-built studio on land provided by Waterford Corporation in the south-west of the city next spring. But Mr Honan says there is a "real desire after Spraoi this year to come out of production for a while". Whereas the festival used to be followed by a period of rest and recuperation for the Spraoi team, nowadays they're more likely to be going straight into production for a performance at some other event in Ireland or abroad.
Spraoi has won accolades at the national St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin, has just appeared at a festival in France and will perform in Holland in September - hence the need to stop for a breather and a look at how the organisation can maintain its originality and vitality in the future.
The result may well be a different look for Spraoi next year, Mr Honan says, but no doubt the essential character of the event will be retained.
If you are in Waterford on the August weekend it is impossible to avoid a performance, with international street actors, musicians and comedians performing on every available space.
This year's street theatre acts include the unicyclists of Circus Zaparelli, Tanzanian acrobats the Black Eagles, Estonian folk dancers Kandali, and others who defy easy description such as the Chipolatas, the Better Halves, Men in Coats and Stickleback Plasticus.
Musicians who will line the Carlsberg Rhythm Route include an East European gypsies band from Newcastle-on-Tyne called the Bagdaddies, Xaya from Brazil, Zic Zazou from France, Headmix Collective, Skokiaan, and the Bogus Brothers.
Spraoi takes place on August 4th, 5th and 6th. It has a website at www.spraoi.com
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Readers who wish to contact Chris Dooley can leave messages by dialling 01- 670-7711, extension 6298.