Kilsyth International Carnival Society

It's nearly Carnival time again and we need your help to let everyone know!

What's new in 2006? Well, quite a lot actually. We always aim to surprise our fans and this year we are adding street theatre from acclaimed company "Mischief La Bas¨ to our repertoire, as well as a great new waterside stage for some of the hottest up-and-coming bands in Scotland. As for the rest: well the arts and crafts fair will be three times bigger than last year, ZUBA are headlining the Colzium stage, the dance arena will be electrifying and there is a brand new adventure playground and activity area for the kids, complete with a smart mobile DJ unit.

Please email or post this info to anyone and everyone that you can think of, copy it to your favourite web discussion board or forum, maybe even print off a few copies to put around your local shops, community centre, library etc ? With a show this good, all we need is a great audience.

We are always told by folk that we manage a brilliant cultural event but don't advertise it enough, but as a free festival run by volunteers, we know that we can rely on you to help pull in the crowds!

All the latest news is at
KICS 2006 so why not keep an eye on the site over the next few weeks and sample the music from some of the bands?

Many thanks,

From all of us at KICS
104 Stirling Rd., Kilsyth
G65 OHY

Can you send me details on how to find you on Sunday?

Kilsyth is just 17 miles from Glasgow on the A803 just past Kirkintilloch:

Colzium House – from Glasgow take the A803 from Glasgow through Bishopriggs and Kirkintilloch, or the A80 – its easy to find Kilsyth. Park in the centre of Kilsyth (singposted) and walk up to the Colzium, about ten minutes.

Cheers, Rob

hi all---it was a great day out for all the family-and the weather was brill-
only gripe ive got is the prices they were charging for every-thing----well over the top and for a family rediculious----grrrrrrrrr

Bowwow compared with what you would spend going to Louden Castle,Edinburgh Zoo, Deep Sea world or any other full day attractions in Scotland it was free! We spent less than £20 Would you really want an entrance fee?
I only found out about the KIC on Friday night when I got off the train at Croy and the Demon Drummers were handing out fliers (caught their performance today they blow the socks of my 4 year old and me) All that free music keep up the good work I am looking forward to next year already

sorry but don;t get your drift------how many families had money to sqaunder on

over-priced goods---how come chips with curried sauce and burger and can of coke

costs 7.50 pounds-----local shops sell these for less than half this price;

and 5pounds for a balloon--yelps

just hope the orgonisers of this event pay heed to these prices in future

the show its-elf was excellant-and is a great boost to kilsyth

but i;m a poor wee mongrel with a poor master -free bones next year ehhhhhh

and what about the five shots for a fiver slide carefully put in the kiddies

play area grrrrrrrrrr woofwoof

I don't know what you guys are talking about either, the entrance was free, there was loads of stuff going on all through the day, I got masses of pakora and sauce which was delicious and fresh for just £2 I think you'll find that was a better deal than most chip shops on the high street!

If you don't want to pay rip off prices at burger vans I suggest next time you bring a packed lunch :P

As a performer I really enjoyed the day and the crowd were awesome.

Thats the whole point Bow-Wow - you could have spent the whole day at KIC and not actually spent a single brass farthing, simply by bringing a picnic. I think you have a bit of a cheek to moan about prices, when its the traders generous contributions by and large that pays for the Carnival. Every burger and ice cream sold, 25p or 40p is donated to pay for the event. How did you think we managed to pay for all that superb PA equipment, mobile staging, events insurance, not to mention the professional artists fees and expenses? As a voluntary organisation, we receive very limited public funds - less than £2,000 as it happens, and that all went towards the theatre company with not a penny spare.

I can assure you that our prices are if anything below or on a par with other major attractions, with the cherry on the cake being the free entry which we have managed to sustain for four years. Probably not for much longer because its the only way have of keeping the crowd size manageable as the event gets more popular and we have nearly reached full capacity in terms of public safety and enjoyment. There isnt some kind of absolute right to have a free carnival: but if you want to try to organise one on this scale then please have a go - there are 51 other weekends to choose from. Maybe a dog-show would be nice, woof woof!

Another point here is that it is very expensive to run a mobile bar, funfair or whatever: the funfair equipment and mobiles cost tens, sometimes hundreds of thousands of pounds to buy, and in Scotland with our weather the traders have to pay for it through a small number of profitable festivals and events through the summer months: in winter the pickings are very slim. You simply cant compare this with the costs of running a fixed-site business like a hotel or takeaway shop, its a different kind of business.

The first photos are now posted at

KICS website,

Theres plenty more to come so why not keep an eye on the site over the next few weeks, check out the photos, and sample the music from some of the bands who played from their linked sites ?

Im not moaning about anything i thought it was a great family day out and like one post said we brought our own food and drink that is the only way to stop traders charging high prices and let the balloon sellers go home with there stock my son got a free balloon from somewhere!

hi
Bow when you to a party you take your own drink so why moan about the prices
at the carnival these people are not out to rip you off they are just doing there
job ok the prices might be a bit higher than normal but if you have a party you have
to supply the food and goodies for your guests which you have to pay for do you moan to
them about how much you payed for them l think not

fair shout to those who have responded so far but there were a lot of people there who had a lot of kids with them --who i heard from-griping about prices-
most of them it was thier first time venture to this great day out----and who had the brillient idea of having a slide you had to pay for in the childrens play area-
stick em up eh---gr
looking forward to next year--------yelp-------woofwoof-