HAPPENINGS: A few things worth checking out around the city

Otherworld Festival

Every year thousands of local residents, young people, families, performers, artists, food sellers and entertainers descend on the Ballymun Plaza on Halloween night for the annual Otherworld Festival.

The evening kicks off with a community parade, followed by hours of creepy on-site entertainment, and rounding off the night with a spectacular fireworks display.

Otherworld provides an important opportunity for local organisations to work together in the months leading up to the festival. This year there are more local groups involved than ever before so it should be a bumper Halloween night.

This year’s festival parade theme is Freaky 50 – paying tribute to Ballymun’s 50th birthday.

Otherworld is a free family event, brought to you by the Ballymun Festival Steering Committee.

 

Finglas Fright Night

Finglas Fright Night will take place on Halloween night in the Finglas Civic Centre from 5.30pm to 9pm. The Fright Night kicks off the Finglas Community Safety Week Initiative, which runs from Monday, October 31 to Sunday, November 6.

The Fright Night promises to be a fun filled, energy packed evening and will include a best zombie competition, skull pitching, life size bowls games, a puppet show, face painting and many more surprises. The night will conclude with a huge fireworks display at 8pm.

 

Halloween Twilight Tours

With one and a half million tales, Glasnevin Cemetery has its fair share of macabre tales. The Cemetery Museum is holding Children’s Twilight Tours next week in the run-up to Halloween from Thursday, October 27 to Monday October 31 at 4.30pm and 5.45pm. 

There’ll be plenty of surprises in store from tour guide, The Ace of Spades. Tours are suitable for children aged 6 to 12. Fancy dress welcome and all children must be accompanied by an adult. Tours are at 5.15pm and 6.15pm and cost €10 for adults and kids go free if accompanied. 

 

Something Wicked Crime Writing Festival

Murder comes to Malahide this bank holiday weekend in the form of the ‘Something Wicked Crime Writing Festival’, which runs from Friday to Sunday, October 28-30. 

Over the course of three days, there will be something for all ages interested in crime, crime fiction and children’s books. 

Authors will discuss the secrets to writing a bestselling crime novel. Among the events will be a workshop (‘Killer Kids’) for children on October 30 at 11am at Manor Books on Church Road.  

Best selling author Dave Rudden will host the workshop for children, who will learn the art of story telling through the medium of crime fiction. Tickets for the kids’ workshop cost €5. Tickets are available on SomethingWicked.eu and Manor Books, Malahide. For further information contact Fiona@somethingwicked.eu  

 

Howth art exhibition

Artist Sarah Gallagher’s inaugural exhibition – ‘Sense of Surroundings’ – opened last week on the Northside.  

The exhibition is on at ‘Art at’ The House Restaurant, 4 Main Street, Howth, and runs until November 8.

Sarah says: “My current work is mainly focused on colour and mood, constantly seeing potential works in my everyday environment.  

“I enjoy painting the ever changing seasons – the barren trees of winter, the green blues of a summer sea, grey skies with light seeping through, clouds and haze. 

“I very much appreciate the appeal of the place where I live, as it inspires and enriches me every single day.” 

  

Bram Stoker Festival 

Celebrate Dublin’s darker side this October Bank Holiday weekend as Bram Stoker Festival (October 28–31) returns with four days of living stories and four nights of deadly events. 

Honouring Dublin’s supernatural traditions and its most famous Gothic son, the packed programme includes theatre, spectacle, visual arts and music in haunting locations across the city. 

Bram Stoker Festival is a Failte Ireland and Dublin City Council initiative. 

For events information and tickets sink your teeth into www.bramstokerfestival.com

 

The Voice of Celtic Woman

As the lead voice with Celtic Woman, Chloe Agnew spent an incredible 81 weeks at the top of the US Billboard World Music Charts.

Now working as a solo act based in Los Angeles and touring internationally with some of America’s biggest and best orchestras Chloe is coming home to play a series of concerts throughout Ireland.

 The girl with the incredible voice will feature all the hit songs from her Celtic Woman albums plus a selection of songs from Hollywood’s vintage magic of the movies era.

Catch her in the Pavilions, Dun Laoghaire on Thursday, October 27.

 

King Lear

After a highly successful run of King Lear last October, the Mill Theatre in Dundrum has announced their next Shakespearian production of Hamlet.

This traditional production, directed by Geoff O’Keeffe, remains faithful to the original text and will find resonances with Leaving Certificate students. Give the Mill Theatre a call to book your preferred date as there are quite a few dates fully booked already.

It runs until Friday, October 28.

 

Bring history to life

On a tour with the Dalkey Living Theatre you can let your imagination flow and travel back in time.

Be enthralled by the extraordinary work of the Archer, the Cook and the travelling Barber-Surgeon. Actors from Deilg Inis Living History Theatre Company will involve you in their lives, their work and their stories. You may even try your strength on the longbow, sit in the Barber Surgeon’s cart or experience medieval toilet practices in the Garderobe!

For bookings email info@dalkeycastle.com or telephone 01-2858366.