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4 events for... festival lovers looking for something different
Festivals that don’t require flower crowns.
IF YOU’RE FOND of a festival, but not in the conventional sense then we have the guide for you.
No longer does a weekend of themed fun revolve solely around music. Craft enthusiasts, film lovers and promising puppeteers have plenty to be happy about this weekend.
Here are our picks of festivals taking place around the country this weekend.
1. Lovers of the silver screen gather together in the village of Schull for Fastnet Film Festival
When: May 23 – 27
Where: Across the village of Schull, Co Cork
Enthusiasts of cinema, particularly short films, need to make their way to west Cork for the tenth annual Fastnet Film Festival. This year’s programme includes screenings, seminars and masterclasses with fore figures of the film industry. Choose from events featuring directors Lenny Abrahamson, Pat McCabe and David Puttnam, costume designer Joan Bergin and producer John Kelleher. There’ll also be a quiz hosted by Deirdre O’Kane, testing your general knowledge of movies.
Book tickets for individual events here.
2. Channel your inner Jim Henson at Newtownards’ Puppet Festival
When: May 26 – 28
Where: Conway Square, Newtownards, Belfast.
If Kermit the Frog and Oscar the Grouch were your childhood heroes then Ards Puppet Festival is the weekend you’ve been dreaming of. It is regarded as the biggest puppet festival in Northern Ireland and boasts three days of workshops, performances and opportunities to meet lots of puppets and puppeteers. A fun weekend for all the family!
A full list of events can be found here.
3. Knit one purl two your way to Dublin’s Festival of Yarn
When: May 25 – 27
Where: ALLSA Sports Centre, Old Airport Road, Co Dublin
The team from Dublin’s woolen one-stop-shop, This is Knit have organised a festival to bring knitters together. The weekend is perfect for all level of crafters as there will be classes in crochet, panel discussions on yarn in Ireland and a marketplace for traders to sell their wares.
Book a place in one of the workshops here.
4. Dance with abandon at Ireland’s premier electronic festival in Co Westmeath
When: May 25 – 27
Where: Belvedere House and Gardens, Co Westmeath
Life Festival is known as the greatest curation of electronic music in Ireland. A combination of nostalgic acts such as Fatboy Sim and Armand Van Helden feature in this year’s line-up along with domestic favourites, Le Galaxie and Tara Stewart.
Weekend and day tickets can be purchased here.
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