There's a jam-packed weekend of activities in Tramore this weekend for the first ever Vitamin Sea festival.
Run by Taste Tramore, which was set up 2 years ago as a network to promote the seaside town as a food and drink destination, there is a whole range of activities centered around the sea and good food.
Some of the experiences on offer are collaborations with local food and wellness businesses, swim and savour events, taste trails, tantalising seafood, outdoor activities such as sea-side excursions, saunas with a sea view, beach dance classes, yoga and meditation, a local produce market and much more to celebrate the vibrant coastal community within Tramore.
Mezze owner Nicola Crowley is one of the Directors of Taste Tramore she says September is traditionally a time of year that people visited Tramore for a dip in the sea.
"The festival event draws on what makes Tramore special; it’s unique coastline, its food expertise and its heritage."
The hope is that the festival will become an annual event and will help local businesses extend the season and allow all to benefit from the therapeutic properties of the iodine-rich sea.
Events will kick start on Friday evening and run all day throughout Saturday and Sunday. There is a series of adults and kids events, both ticketed and non-ticketed but pre-booking is essential as places are limited.
The festival will also celebrate Tramore’s heritage as a seaside destination.
Sea bathing was regarded as beneficial to wellbeing and recommended as a cure for various ailments, particularly the medicinal qualities of seaweed as a rich source of iodine. Visitors came to Tramore in September to swim in the iodine rich waters and visit the seaweed baths by the Lady's slip.
Today, Tramore continues the tradition of sea swimming with locals taking a dip throughout the year and tourists taking advantage of Tramore’s blue flag beaches during the summer.