Winterval Festival is back and bigger than ever
Waterford will host the 10th annual Winterval Festival from November 18 to December 23 with the biggest line-up of events to date.
There will be an incredible 38 events on offer with 25 of those events free of charge so it’s really not to be missed!
There are plenty of fun events for children and grown-ups of all ages to help keep the whole family entertained. Little ones will love the gigantic magical postbox where they can send their Christmas letters to Santa, as well as the elf post collection show which takes place each weekend.
There will be a hall of magic mirrors, a wide range of free children’s workshops, a free shadow puppet show plus GLOW, a magical trail of lights at New Street Gardens for families to explore.
Winterval Castle, the entry to the magical kingdom of Winterval, will have a gorgeous light show projected onto it. The display will be on offer every half hour so everyone will have an opportunity to see this beautiful projection, and it will include special effects which will be out of this world!
More sights to see include Winterval’s firm favourites, which include the fabulous ice rink on the city’s quay side, the vintage Ferris wheel at Arundel Square for those who enjoy heights, and a vintage carousel for the young members of your family as well as the young at heart.
The Waterford Eye is also back to get amazing views of Ireland's oldest city, as well as the Winterval Mini Express train. There are brand new additions including a virtual ride in Santa’s sleigh, plus a Wizard and Dragon interactive exhibition.
Of course it wouldn’t be a Winterval Festival without the main man himself, Santa will be taking centre stage in the heart of the city on Broad Street. Elves will lead your littles ones to the door of Santa’s magical cabin in Santa’s Central Station, and families can travel through Santa’s city centre installation- a great spot for stunning photos!
Visitors to the festival will be entertained with live music each weekend in Waterford’s cultural quarter, with a mix of highly talented community and professional acts.
The wonderful Winterval Christmas market will be set in festive wooden chalets panning the Viking city from Geoge’s Street to Hanover Street and into Gladstone Street. Connected with Waterford Crafts at Garter Lane Gallery, there will be over 100 food, drinks, crafts and gift producers and creators at the market, making it an ideal spot to pick up some Christmas pressies as well as some treats for yourself!
Waterford’s famous heritage will take prime position at the festival with Déise Medieval hosting a traditional Viking Settlement. Festival-goers will be able to experience what Viking life was really like with real-life smells, foods and experiences that would have been around back when Ireland’s oldest city was first established.
New elements include the opportunity for visitors to book a date for their doggie with Santa Paws so none of the family gets left out, even the furry members! The awe-inspiring Gerbola Circus will be hosting festive circus shows each weekend too. Winterval will be the highlight of everyone’s Christmas with the vast amount of entertainment to keep everyone happy so make sure to head to Waterford this festive season.
The full Winterval Festive programme is available to view and book online at www.winterval.ie
