Tonight will mark Culture Night in Waterford, with lots happening across the city and county to mark the occasion.
Culture Night is a national movement, celebrating culture, creativity and the arts while seeking to actively promote the belief that culture is alive, treasured and nurtured in people’s lives.
In 2021, 1.1 million people engaged with the movement.
In terms of what's on in Waterford, there are 27 events taking place, ranging from music to poetry to tea parties.
Waterford City
Seeding the Barracks
'Seeding the Barracks' will be happening from 6pm to 9pm in the community gardens on St. Carthadge's Avenue.
It is a garden event that aims to celebrate the circle of life by "combining stories of the past with seeds of the future."
The 'Top of the City Garden' is located between the walls of the old Artillery Barracks.
Here vegetables are grown and people are taught about sustainability, food sovereignty, and biodiversity.
The Garden's brand new seed bank will be officially opened at the event where people can learn about seed saving.
There will also be stalls selling local produce and live music being performed on a wooden stage.
Réad Mór
This event is hosted by Bus Éireann and will see 'book conductors' giving free books to their customers between 2pm and 4pm.
The name comes from Bus Éireann encouraging passengers to read more saying travelling by bus is the perfect opportunity to relax and read.
The Arts Council will be gifting the books by 21 top Irish authors to passengers travelling on the Expressway services.
Spokes Speakeasy Sessions
A poetry, song, and word event that will take place upstairs in Phil Grimes Pub in Johnstown.
The event will begin at 8pm and admission is €5 at the door.
Speaskeasy aims to give Waterford word-lovers a chance to hear Ireland's top poets read their work, while also giving local writers a voice.
Guest poet Afric McGlinchey and guest musician Joey Whelan will take to the stage to perform.
Jam at Royal
A Jam at Theatre Royal will see Music Generation playing from 5:30pm.
They will be performing at the backdoor.
Gozadera Tropical
Gozadera Tropical will see a mix of sounds from The Caribbean and Columbia being played.
The event will be in The Applemarket from 8pm to 10pm.
There will be lots of dancing and music going on.
The Spokesmen
The Spokesmen will perform at the opening of Waterford Gallery of Art's newest exhibition 'Portraits: People and Place.'
The barbershop inspired quartet will be playing from 5:30pm.
Their performance will see a mixture of music and visual arts.
2 Time Charlie & Their 11 Piece Band
2 Time Charlie & Their 11 Piece Band will perform at The Apple Market from 6pm.
2 Time Charlie is an electro Indie duo act that formed during the pandemic to express their passion for music with songs of good times, bad times and everything in between.
The Music Generation Waterford House Band
The Music Generation Waterford Band will be playing on O'Connell Street from 8pm.
They will be featuring a variety of special guests including Hannah Malone, Cal Pacino, Conor Clancy, and more.
The band claim you'll be seeing them as you never have before in order to celebrate everything wonderful about Waterford.
Block Party with Locker 43
The Block Party will see DJs, skateboarding, breakdancing, and music from Luca Records and Decks.
The event begins at 7pm on Michael Street.
The Ekphrasis Project 2022
The Waxed Lemon Presents the Ekphrasis Project in association with the Waterford Gallery of Art.
The project will feature readings by Mark Roper, Joanne McCarthy and Mary O’Donoghue as well as music by Derek Flynn.
The Project is in conjunction with the launch of the 'Portraits: People and Place' exhibition.
The Big Bands of Waterford
The Big Bands of Waterford will be playing in the City's Viking Triangle from 5:30pm.
This is a family friendly event featuring a variety of bands.
Those performing include:
- Thomas Francis Meagher Fife and Drum Band - 6:15pm at Bishop’s Palace Gardens,
- City of Waterford Brass - 6:45pm on Cathedral Square
- De La Salle Scout Band - 7:30pm on Constitution Square
- Barrack Street Concert Band - 8pm on Bailey’s New Street
Free entry to Waterford's Museums, Gardens & Galleries
Culture Night Waterford invites you to come visit, explore and be inspired.
Free tours, activities, workshops, exhibitions, music and much more, as for one night only doors are open for free.
Participating venues include:
- Waterford Gallery of Art,
- Goma Gallery of Modern Art Waterford,
- Waterford Treasures,
- Theatre Royal Waterford,
- Garter Lane Arts Centre Waterford,
- The Top of The City Community Gardens Waterford.
Tramore
Storytelling Event
Tournore Little Free Library are hosting a night of Irish Myths and Legends.
Carol Elstead Thomas, famed for her memorable performances in many Dungarvan Town pantomimes, will transport people to a time long, long ago and to places far far away .
People will learn about the story of the Giants Causeway and maybe some local myths and legends too.
The library are also calling on people of other nationalities to share a myth or legend from their country, or to teach the people of Waterford a phrase from their language.
The event will kick of at 7pm at Tournore Court Little Free Library.
Please bring a chair or a blanket and a cup as hot chocolate will be served.
Duo Frizzante Melodies of The Silver Screen
Duo Frizzante will perform at the Japanese Gardens in Tramore for an early evening soirée.
Violinist Cathy Desmond and pianist Marian Ingoldsby will celebrate Culture Night with an hour of melodies kicking off at 4pm.
Duo Frizzante’s Garden Serenades at the Lafcadio Hearn Gardens was listed as one of the best arts events of 2021 in the Munster Express review of the year.
Dungarvan
Dungarvan Camera Club Photographic Open Day
The Open Day is to give anyone with an interest in photography a taste of what it's like to be in the club.
It will be held in Dungarvan Library from 3pm to 4pm.
Members of the club will be in attendance at tables showing and discussing the various aspects of photography including colour and monochrome digital photography, using a mobile phone camera, film photography and darkroom processing, creative digital art with an editing software, and general information on membership.
Know My Name
'Know My Name' is an exhibition by local artist Kasia Pylyponko.
Kasia is an SETU graduate having completed a BA in Visual Arts in 2018.
The exhibition on display in Dungarvan Library features a series of 2D mixed media collages that illustrate the collective beauty and strength of women.
Her use of rich, vibrant, colours and flowers act as a symbol of unity, togetherness, love and hope.
The exhibition has been there since September 17th and will remain so until the 27th,.
People are welcome to view it from 4pm until 10pm.
Culture Night Lights
Ard Scoil na nDéise will present this year's Culture Night Lights for the fourth year in a row.
Beautiful lantern sculptures made by the art students will illuminate Dungarvan as night falls.
The event will start at 8pm at The Old Market House Arts Centre.
Ardkeen, Lisduggan, & Dunmore
Tea and Cake Party at Ardkeen Library
What’s more Irish than Tea and Cake?
Ardkeen Library is hosting a Tea and Cake Party from 10:30am.
There will be plenty of food on offer and anyone is welcome.
Culture Night for Kids in Lisduggan
Browns Road Library is hosting a Culture Night for Kids from 2pm.
It is taking place from 2pm and is suitable for kids aged five and over.
The kids will have the to help the library design a mural with characters from their favourite books.
Painting Dunmore: Artform Plein Air Exhibition 2022
Artform School of Art is inviting people to an art exhibition in its home village of Dunmore East.
The exhibition in The Strand Inn will showcase plein air painting as well as other work created in the Dunmore area.
Artists explored and painted Dunmore East and the surrounding seascape, life, and architecture resulting in an exhibition of over 40 pieces of work.
The show is open from 11am until 11pm.
For more on Culture Night, you can visit their website.
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