Wainfest, Donegal’s annual Children’s Arts & Book festival returns this year from the 7th – 15th October with a host of awesome activities to satisfy the diverse interests and backgrounds of young minds across the county. It promises to take children on a journey of discovery, creativity and wonder that will stay with them for years to come. The theme of this year’s festival ‘Our Planet, Our Home’ fuses the love of books, art and culture with a commitment to environmental responsibility and hopes to encourage children in Donegal to explore new ways to contribute to climate action.
With over 100 free events for families and schools, there’s something for everyone to enjoy this October. This year’s festival includes an array of engaging experiences; from interactive storytelling sessions to fascinating workshops, and everything in between – it truly is a vibrant celebration of literature, learning, creativity and culture.
Festivities kick off this Saturday the 7th with a range of family events taking place across the county. Why not ‘roll up, roll up’ to Central Library, Letterkenny and fine tune your juggling skills with In Your Space Circus Skills Workshop. For lovers of the outdoors, there’s a Beach Clean with Liquid Therapy at Rossnowlagh Beach and a morning of Forest Exploration at Ards Forest Park. For younger kids seeking a more chilled out start to the day, why not check out the Lego Workshop at Bundoran Community Library or pay a visit to Buncrana Community Library to hear from Isla McGuckin, author of April’s Garden.
The schools programme, as always is an action-packed line-up of renowned artists, authors and performers. Limited availability remains for the hugely popular storyteller, Niall De Búrca at An Grianan Hotel on 12th October There’s also still time to book for online author events with Oein DeBhairduin and Alan Dunne so visit www.wainfest.ie to secure your school’s place now.
Families can freewheel through the fun all week long with events taking place each day across the county, from Crafting Workshops with Colleen Kearney in Buncrana and Carndonagh Community Libraries, to a Planetarium Show at the Inishowen Maritime Museum. Why not rock out and make shapes at a Silent Disco in Bundoran Community Library or Leabharlann Phobail na Rosann? Whatever you fancy, there’s plenty of opportunity for children of all ages to express their creativity, learn new skills and most importantly, have fun!
Spraoi agus Sport in Carndonagh will host a number of events throughout the festival for children of all ages. Children will get the chance to create their own cuddly toy at a Build a Bear Workshop, and perhaps even take them along to the Teddy Bears Picnic the following day.
The ever-popular Harry Potter Experience returns to Oakfield Park this year on the 7th, 8th, 14th and 15th October with all sorts of magical fun and games for the witches, wizards and muggles of Donegal.
The award-winning Donegal Railway Heritage Centre will host a Family Fun Day on Thursday 12th October. Families can try out Irelands first Interactive Steam Train Cab, enjoy puzzles, model railways, games and much more.
Wainfest prides itself on being an all-inclusive festival and there are a number of ASD friendly events in this year’s programme including Maia Sensory Play on the14th October in Bundoran Community Library. The festival closes on 15th October and one of the final events this year is a Ukrainian language screening of Mavka: The Forest Song / українська версія at Eclipse Cinemas in Lifford-Strabane and Bundoran.
With so many fun, family events happening across Donegal, and bookings filling up fast, don’t delay and book your place today
Pilleann Wainfest, an fhéile bhliantúil Ealaíona agus léitheoireachta do pháistí i mbliana idir an 7 agus an 15 Deireadh Fómhair le raon leathan d’imeachtaí iontacha atá abálta na leasanna agus cúlraí éagsúla na n-intinní óga ar fud an chontae a shásamh. Geallann sé iad a thabhairt ar thuras fionnachtana, cruthaitheachta agus iontais a fhanfaidh leo ar feadh na mblianta le theacht. Comhcheanglaíonn téama fhéile na bliana seo ‘Ár bPláinéad, Ár mBaile” grá don léitheoireachta agus ár gcultúr agus ár n-ealaíon le tiomantas dár bhfreagracht chomhshaoil agus táthar ag súil go spreagfaidh sé páistí Dhún na nGall chun bealaí úra a fhiosrú le cur le gníomh aeráide.
Le níos mó na 100 imeachtaí saor in aisce do theaghlaigh agus scoileanna, tá rud ann le achan duine a shásamh i mí Dheireadh Fómhair. i measc na himeachtaí suntasacha féile na bliana seo, gheobhaidh tú achan rud ó sheisiúin scéalaíochta idirghníomhacha agus ceardlanna fíorspéisiúla – Is fíor é a rá gur ceiliúradh bríomhar é ar litríocht, léann, cruthaitheacht agus cultúr.
Tosaíonn na féilte ar an satharn seo an 7ú le raon leathan d’imeachtaí theaghlaigh ag tarlú ar fud fad an chontae. Tuige nach dtiocfadh chuig an leabharlann lárnach i Leitir Ceanainn agus do chuid scileanna lámhchleasaíochta a chleachtadh. Fá choinne iad siúd a bhfuil a gcuid croíthe amuigh sa nadúr, tá trá le ghlanadh le teiripe leachtach i Ros Neamhlach agus maidin de thaiscéalaíocht coillte ag Páirc Coille na hArda. Fá choinne na páistí níos óige a lorg dóigh níos suaimhneach chun a lá a thoiseacht, tuige nach bhfainfeadh triail as an cheardlann lego ag leabharlann phobail Bhún Dobhráin nó cuairt a thabhairt ar leabharlann phobail Bhun Cranncha le chluinstean ó Isla McGuckin, údar de “Aprils Garden”.
Tá clár na scoileanna, mar i gcónaí, lan d'ealaíontóirí, údair agus taibheoirí clúiteacha. Tá infhaighteacht teoranta fós ag an scéalaí a bhfuil an-tóir air, Niall De Búrca in Óstán an Grianan ar 12 Deireadh Fómhair, ag tá spás ann go fóill fá choinne imeachtaí ar líne le Eoin DeBhairduin agus Alan Dunne agus chun iad a cheannacht tar chuig www.wainfest.ie chun spás a chur in áirithe don scoil.
Thig le teaghlaigh snámh fríd an spraoi ar feadh na seachtaine le himeachtaí ar siúl achan lá ar fud an chontae, ó Cheardlanna Ceardaíochta le Colleen Kearney i Leabharlanna Pobail Bhun Cranncha agus Charn Domhnach, go Seó Pláinéadlann ag Músaem Muirí Inis Eoghain. Tuige nach ligeann tú síos do ghruaige agus cúpla céimeanna a dhéanamh ag an dioscó chiúin i Leabharlann Phobail Bhun Cranncha agus Leabharlann Phobail na Rosann. Cibé a síleann tú fhéin, tá neart deiseanna ann do pháistí den achan aoisghrúpa a gcuid cruthaitheachta a chur in iúl, scileanna úra a fhoghlaim agus rud atá tábhachtacha thar aon rud eile, sult a bhaint as !
Beidh imeachtaí go leor ag dul ar aghaidh ag Spóirt agus Spraoi i gCarn Domhnach i rith an fhéile do pháistí ó achan aois. Gheobhaidh said deis a gcuid bréagán suaimhneach féin a thógail ag an Ceardlann “Tóg Béar” agus b'fhéidir fiú, iad a thabhairt leofa go dtí Picnic na mBéiríní an lá dár gcionn.
Níor chaill an eispéiris Harry Potter ag Oatfield Park a mhealladh go fóill agus mar sin ta sé a pilleadh ar ais fosta ar an 7ú, 8ú,14ú agus 15ú Deireadh Fómhair le achan cineáil de spraoi draíochtúil fá choinne na cailleacha, draoi agus muggles Dhún na nGall.
Beidh Lá Spraoi Teaghlaigh á reáchtáil ag Ionad Oidhreachta Iarnróid Dhún na nGall, áit a bhfuil clú agus cáil air ó thaobh an oidhreacht de, ar Déardaoin 12 Deireadh Fómhair. Is féidir le teaghlaigh triail a bhaint as an gcéad Chabán Traenach Gaile Idirghníomhach in Éirinn agus a bheith ag spraoi le puzail, iarnród múnla, cluichí agus go leor eile.
Tá Wainfest bródúil as a bheith ina féile uile-chuimsitheach agus tá roinnt imeachtaí a oireann do ASD i gclár na bliana seo lena n-áirítear Maia Sensory Play ar an 14 Deireadh Fómhair i Leabharlann Pobail Bhun Dobhráin. Druidtear an fhéile ar an 15 Deireadh Fómhair agus beidh taispeántas i dteanga na hÚcráine de Mavka: The Forest Song / українська версія ag Pictiúrlanna Eclipse i Leifear-an Srath Bán agus i mBun Dobhráin.
Leis an méid sin d’imeachtaí spraíúla teaghlaigh ar siúl ar fud Dhún na nGall agus áirithintí ag líonadh go gasta, ná moill agus cuir d’áit in áirithe inniu. Chun tuilleadh eolais a fháil faoin bhféile, lena n-áirítear eolas faoi áirithintí agus amanna imeachtaí tabhair cuairt ar www.wainfest.ie.
