From festivals to food, drink to music – topped off with a spot of shopping – there is plenty of incredible events on this weekend
The long summer days are well and truly here, and the weekend ahead is one full of wholesome festivals, plentiful pop-ups, and even a day dedicated to the beloved gin and tonic duo. If you’re looking for something fun to do this weekend, read on for a guide to what’s happening north to south, and east to west.
Food festivities
The West Waterford Festival of Food kicks off in Dungarvan this Friday June 10th until Sunday the 12th. The family-fun event will host a range of events for children such as workshops, talks, and cooking demonstrations to nurture an interest in growing and cooking from a young age.
For example, the Youthspace tent will provide a fun, safe space for young people with activities including blind taste challenges, climate action challenges, and budget dinner ideas. Meanwhile, drop-in yoga workshops will be running across the weekend, while young cooks can don their aprons for a Bake-Off competition.
The festival will also host a mobile farm and reptile zoo from 11am to 3pm on Saturday and Sunday, where the kids can befriend everything from pythons, gecko lizards, tarantulas to scorpions, if they are feeling brave. The full range of events can be found here, where you can also book tickets based on the events you wish to attend.
Fashion meets art
Irish artist Audrey Hamilton extends her creativity to fashion design with a new line of summer clothing. To celebrate the launch, Audrey is opening her pop-up shop this weekend in the Powerscourt Centre in Dublin until June 30th. The summer range is an exclusive line of oversized t-shirts with eye-catching designs, bold prints, and expressive colours. You can expect to see some of Audrey’s pop art creations featured on the t-shirts, alongside some new, custom designs. The t-shirts are made from 100 percent cotton and are certified organic. Audrey’s artworks will also be displayed throughout the pop-up for the full artistic experience. The new summer fashion drop will be available to purchase exclusively in-store for the first week, and then online at audreyhamiltonapparel.com. Pieces in the new line begin at €55.
Celebrate World Gin Day
It’s a good weekend for the G&T lovers as World Gin Day is celebrated this Saturday. To mark the occasion, the South Belfast Gin Festival takes place in The Bowery Bar and Restaurant in Lisburn, Belfast, from 12pm to 5pm.
Guests will get the chance to try over 60 gins from around the world, all while enjoying guest discussions, masterclasses, live music, and food. Tickets include a gin and tonic on arrival, a souvenir glass, and an A to Z guide of gins you can sample at the festival. Attendees can also avail of a 10 percent discount off all gin purchased in the Craft Vintner Wine Merchant following the event. Tickers are €13.30 and can be purchased on eventbrite.
Plant shopping
If you are looking to invest in some potted plants for your home, look no further than Nicely Plant and Sahara’s pop-up shop on Wicklow Street, Dublin, which is running for the summer months. The brick-and-mortar botany is brimming with a vast selection of plants, from monsteras and begonias, to smaller shrubs like peperomias and hanging plants. You can also shop the gorgeous interiors, plant pots and baskets at the pop-up for the full jungle-vibe.
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A festival with no footprint
Doolin Folk Festival kicks off this Friday until Sunday with history in the making, as it becomes Ireland’s first carbon-neutral music festival. The festival will see plenty of Irish and international musicians take to the stage on the grounds of Hotel Doolin, County Clare, such as Damien Dempsey, Mary Black, Ye Vagabonds, John Spillane, Aoife Scott, and Rua Rí.
There will be no single-use plastic, plastic packaging or printed programmes at this year’s festival, while wristbands will be compostable. All energy used will be from renewable sources and the hotel will be planting 500 native trees onsite with hometree.ie, to add to the 700 they planted earlier in the year.
Tickets are available here, ranging from €42 for a Friday ticket, to €52.50 for a Saturday or Sunday ticket. The full line-up of performances can be viewed here.
Main image by Patrick Browne Photography
