Birr prepares for nine days of fun for annual Vintage Week festival
Preparations are well underway in Birr ahead of a packed nine-day programme for the 58th Annual Birr Vintage Week & Arts Festival.
Running from Friday, July 31 to Saturday, August 8, Birr Vintage Week & Arts Festival is an annual community arts festival in Birr, and one of the longest running festivals of its kind in Ireland.
The event features professional, national and international artists bringing visual arts, theatre, music, street theatre, pop up performers, workshops, exhibitions and lots more, together with a variety of community events.
The festival begins on Friday, July 31, with the launch of the Visual Arts Trail, Vintage Week Crafty Friday, a breakfast art talk, yoga, dancing at the Cottages and an evening performance by Luke Thomas & The Swing Cats.
The opening weekend quickly builds towards one of the biggest events in the festival calendar. Saturday features the popular Food & Craft Market on Green Street, the Mick Egan Busking Competition, the Great Ruckin' Duck Race, Birr Rugby Club Family Fun Day and Republic of Silence at Birr Theatre & Arts Centre.
The standout highlight of the festival is Vintage Sunday, when Birr's famous Vintage Parade returns to the streets at 3pm. The colourful parade, featuring vintage vehicles, community groups and performers, is expected to draw large crowds to the town centre.
The day also includes Festival Mass, the Big Birr Street Fest, an aerial show and the ever-popular Vintage Costume Competition, ensuring a full afternoon of entertainment for families and visitors alike.
The celebrations continue throughout the week with a varied programme including the Hibernian Antiques Fair, Birr Garden Trail, Teddy Bears' Picnic, Sensory Treasure Hunt, Children's Treasure Hunt, Children's Pavement Art, Connaught Street Capers, the Vintage Week Swim Gala, Castle Brunch, the Fireworks Night & Gig Rig, Vintage Week Awards Ceremony, Vintage Tennis Tournament and performances including The Best of Broadway and The Muddy River Band.
Families are well catered for with a host of children's events, including printmaking workshops, insect workshops, storytelling, yoga, the Birr GAA Vintage Summer Camp and a range of creative and sensory activities.
Music, theatre and visual arts also feature strongly throughout the festival, with concerts, exhibitions, workshops and the Visual Arts Trail running alongside the Open Garden & Art Exhibition, Leinster Regiment Exhibition and Tom's Motorworks Open Days.
The programme concludes on Saturday, August 8, with the Birr Festival of Hurling, immersive wellness experiences, the Vintage Sale & Wellbeing Vibes event and a final day of community celebrations.