Sea of colour ahead for East Ren Mela

The first Mela on Main Street takes place in Neilston on Saturday, March 28 — with plenty of colours, sights and smells to entice revellers from East Renfrewshire and beyond.

Organised by the Neilston Development Trust as part of the Commonwealth Legacy, the event has funding from the Big Lottery and Cycle Scotland to celebrate the area’s ties with the commonwealth — including East Ren being twinned with both India and the island of Tuvalu for Glasgow 2014.

Project co-ordinator Laura Carswell told The Extra: “The Mela on Main St will be a wonderful day for the community and local shop
keepers, and will help put Neilston on the map as a great place to walk and cycle to and from.”

The Mela will see the high street transformed into a bazaar of shops, Indian food and music — with stalls offering fair trade products, Asian jewellery, bags, henna hand painting and craft and textile demonstrations.

Dhol Drummers and the East Renfrewshire Youth Pipe Band will provide the day’s entertainment, while Neilston Library.

Activities will also tie into the first Cycle Neilston Bike Festival, with off-road timber and mini-bike trails — promoting Neilston as a cycle-friendly village.

Mela on Main St runs 10am-1pm on March 28 — for more info on events or getting there, visit www.neilstontrust.co.uk.