Derry's Hallowe'en dream team secure top award

The team from Derry picked up the accolade at the prestigious UTV Business Eye Awards 2017 on Thursday night.

The awards ceremony took place at the Belfast Waterfront with 700 business and community guests in attendance.

Mayor McHugh said: “I am delighted that ‘Halloween in Derry’ has won this prestigious award – and that the judging panel found the city’s four-day carnival to have done most to raise standards in the hospitality industry and attract tourists to the region.

“This fantastic award will help boost Derry’s reputation as one of the world’s top Halloween destinations,” Mayor McHugh said, adding:

“Our annual carnival is such a huge visitor attraction in terms of drawing people from all over the world to the city and district, and it’s a major contributor to the local economy.

“The UTV Business Eye award is also well-deserved recognition of all the hard work which goes into planning the annual Halloween carnival by Council staff.

“What makes the annual Halloween celebrations in Derry really special though is the participation of local community groups – who create most of the fantastic props which are used – and people of all ages who come out in their thousands to support the carnival dressed up in ‘spooktacular’ Halloween costumes.

“Indeed, winning this prestigious UTV Business Eye award is very much down to the support of the entire city.”