The final preparations are well under way as Bo’Ness locals decorate the town ahead of the Children’s Fair Festival.
The annual event is loved by locals and visitors alike since it began in 1897, and is set to take place on Friday, June 28.
It’s an event that sees the whole town join in, with programme co-ordinator, Maria Ford saying there will be around 150 arches decorated by residents in various themes.
STV NewsMs Ford said the event is so important as it brings the community together, adding that “sometimes neighbours don’t really talk to each other but when it comes to the fair, they all get together”.
Throughout the course of the event, there will be parades and bands playing before the crowning of their new Queen and procession.
STV NewsA key part of the event involves five local schools taking their turn to vote for a Fair Queen, with with Deanburn Primary School bestowing the honour this year.
Ella Black, the festival’s 116th Queen, said she was “really shocked and happy” when she found out she had been named the Queen elect.
STV News“It’s a very big honour, because of how much works goes into it, and its an amazing opportunity that I’ve been given”.
The front of Ella’s house has been turned into a pink castle which took around two months to make thanks to a team of designers and builders at a barn in Linlithgow.
Ms Ford said the honour is something that stays with the Queen’s throughout their lives.
“They may be married, but their faces don’t really change and people will say ‘were you not the Queen in 1980?'”
STV NewsElla’s parents, Gillian and Steven Black, know just how important the honour bestowed on their daughter is.
“I’m from Bo’ness so I knew what it meant, it was really overwhelming and amazing, we’re really happy,” Mrs Black told STV News.
“It totally means community, it means we have fundraised locally, it brings everyone together.
“My family have loved it and we’ve had some of the best experiences and enjoyed every single second,” she said.
STV NewsSteven added that all their neighbours helped out and gave donations to build the castle.
In fact, it was Steven and a crew of around 20 people spent two months planning the castle before they started building.
“We all worked really hard and it looks spectacular,” he said.
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
