It’s one of the most scenic spots you can visit in the summer.

But this year, the West Cork village of Crookhaven is pulling out all the stops to entice visitors down in the winter, with a four day Christmas Fair planned in early December.

Crook residents have been busy making jams and pickles to sell on the stands and Bulmers will be keeping everybody warm with glasses of hot cider. There will also be street food, a karaoke caravan, Christmas carols and live music on December 7th and 8th, 14th and 15th.

An impressive 31 foods and crafts stalls are already signed up for each day in Nottages pub and The Crookhaven Inn. The fair will be officially opened at 5pm on Friday 7th by Fine Gael Councillor Caroline Cronin and will run from 3pm to 8pm on Saturdays and 12pm to 5pm on Sundays.

The four-day event, the first of its kind in the village, will see the launch of the Crookhaven Pontoon Appeal to replace an ageing 25-year-old pontoon used by local people and holiday makers alike. The target is €75,000 and there is already €20,000 in the kitty thanks to donations from customers and organisations.

There will be support from nearby Goleen, whose own fair had to be cancelled because of “bureaucratic red tape”.

“I always believed we would do a wonderful Christmas Fair.” said organiser Linda Kennedy, who runs the family bar alongside husband Dermot O’Sullivan.

“Our village is so beautiful, it lends itself to the charm and excitement of Christmas. I can’t wait to see our new lights and decorations.

“It all came about last year when the Goleen fair got into difficulties with insurances and we offered our services by lending out Nottages, but it was too short-notice to organize anything. This year several of us got together, spearheaded by Emma Jepson, of The Crookhaven Inn, Magda O’Driscoll of the Crookhaven Art Studio, myself and others who decided to make our vision a reality. It’s going to be fun and a bit of light and excitement in the dark winter months.

“We are only charging €10 for stalls and all the entertainment will be free. We want this to be a family event, accessible to everybody.

For more information and stall booking, contact Linda Kennedy at crookhavenpontoon@gmail.com.