City of Dublin Winter Solstice Celebration Festival 2018

Smashing Times and Slí an Chroí, in partnership with Dublin Institute of Technology, and with support from Dublin City Council Arts Office, are delighted to announce the 9th annual City of Dublin Winter Solstice Celebration Festival taking place on Friday 21 December 2018 from 4 to 7pm.

Where: DIT Grangegorman Campus to Smithfield Square

When: 21 December 2018

Indoor Festival: 4-5.30pm

Outdoor Festival and Parade: 5.30-7pm

Indoor Festival: 4-5.30pm at DIT Grangegorman Campus

The gathering begins. All are welcome to come and enjoy a spectacular grand Céilí and set dancing event featuring traditional Irish music and dancing by the Brian Boru Céilí band. Or come and watch a Solstice Storytelling performance with poetry, song and stories such as The Shamanic Santa Story, The Yule Fairies, How the Fox Stole Solstice and many more. Enjoy face painting, a magic card show or craft making to work on masks, banners and wreaths for the parade. Participants are encouraged to create your own personal ‘withy’ (a decorated twig for your blessings, prayers, wishes) that will be placed in the Solstice fire at the end of the parade taking place at Smithfield Square. Creative stalls included the holly brooch and ivy wreath stand, the withy stand, the hat and rattle making stand and the face-painting corner for a Winter Solstice design.

Outdoor Festival and Parade: 5.30-7pm, An Croí, DIT Grangegorman Campus to Smithfield Square

Our parade assembles at An Croí, the main entrance to DIT Grangegorman Campus at 5.30pm. A colourful, choreographed movement performance announces the arrival of the Sun Goddess, the Snow Queen and Ice princesses followed by the lighting of the fire bowl and the beginning of the parade. The route is: DIT Grangegorman > Grangegorman Road Lower > North Brunswick St > Red Cow Lane > Smithfield Square. Our parade is made up of members of the public, and you are all welcome to join us. Dress in bright, festive colours of red and yellow, bring a lantern, a rattle, a drum, a tambourine, or anything that shines and makes a sound and walk with us from Grangegorman down to Smithfield Square to celebrate the winter Solstice.

Young and old are invited to take part in this year’s magical parade which honours the Winter Solstice on December 21, marking the shortest day of the year which is celebrated worldwide across a range of cultures. This family festival is a colourful gathering of local communities with national and international visitors celebrating the Winter Solstice, bringing together céilí dancing, traditional storytelling, poetry and craft making with the processional parade culminating in a powerful and moving collective fire ceremony in Dublin’s Smithfield Square. The celebration invites everyone to take part in this inclusive gathering of people of all ethnicities and cultures through costuming, drumming, parading, flag carrying and being a participant in the Winter Solstice Fire Ceremony, the traditional climax on Smithfield Square.

Come and gather with us on the darkest day, step into the warmth of the indoor festival for storytelling, poetry recitals, a céilí, face painting, music and craft making. Meet with The Sun Queen and Snow Princesses, place your withies in the flame, join us in the colourful drum led parade to Smithfield Square and be there as we raise our fire to the world in a roaring climactic moment. Bring warm, colourful clothes to wear for the parade. Red and yellow colours are preferable. Please also feel free to carry your own battery operated lanterns, or a drum or rattle if you have one. Come and welcome the return of the light on this festive and magical night for family and friends to enjoy. The City Of Dublin Winter Solstice Celebration Festival 2018 is a family friendly, participatory and inclusive festival.

Book this event now on Eventbrite here.

As a fundraiser for this colourful family gathering, a wonderful alternative to Christmas, we are running a raffle! There are some magnificent prizes up for grabs! See below for further details. Buy raffle tickets here!

Prizes:
– 2 x All Together Now Festival weekend camping tickets (valued at €199.50)
– 2 x Body&Soul Festival tickets (valued at €189.50)
More great prizes to be announced soon!

Tickets are prices as follows:
– 1 row for €10
– 3 rows for €20

If you would like to donate to this campaign with any amount, your help and support for this local festival is be greatly appreciated. To donate/buy raffle tickets, click here!

Young and old are invited to take part in this year’s magical parade which honours the Winter Solstice on December 21, marking the shortest day of the year which is celebrated worldwide across a range of cultures. This family festival is a colourful gathering of local communities with national and international visitors celebrating the Winter Solstice, bringing together céilí dancing, traditional storytelling, poetry and craft making with the processional parade culminating in a powerful and moving collective fire ceremony in Dublin’s Smithfield Square. The celebration invites everyone to take part in this inclusive gathering of people of all ethnicities and cultures through costuming, drumming, parading, flag carrying and being a participant in the Winter Solstice Fire Ceremony, the traditional climax on Smithfield Square.
A big thanks to our friends who have generously given us prizes for this raffle!

Additionally, we are currently looking for volunteers for the City of Dublin Winter Solstice Celebration Festival. Volunteers would need to be available on 21 December from 2.30-7pm, to be marshals, help set up, help with costumes and the like. Please email dublincitywintersolstice@gmail.com if interested!

For further information please contact the Smashing Times office at info@smashingtimes.ie or call us on +353 (0) 1 865 6613