Get into the Christmas spirit with a programme of magical events taking place at Dún Laoghaire Harbour from 30th November to 5th January.
Santa Claus is coming to Town
What could make Christmas more enchanting than meeting Santa Claus himself? Enjoy an unforgettable line up of entertainment as Christmas celebrations kick off with Santa Claus’s arrival on Saturday, 30th November at Harbour Plaza. The Dublin Gospel Choir from 5.15pm will get you into the festive spirit in time for the gala arrival of Santa Claus at 5.45pm. At 6pm the Christmas lights will be switched on and a breath-taking fireworks display over Dún Laoghaire Harbour will officially announce that Christmas in Dún Laoghaire is underway.
Christmas Funfair at Harbour Plaza
There are plenty of family-friendly attractions at the Christmas Funfair at Harbour Plaza including a carousel, a dragon rollercoaster just for kids, chair-o-planes and snow blast slide. The Funfair opens on Saturday, 30th November to Sunday, 5th January 2013. A trip to the Funfair promises to be a perfect way to get into the Christmas spirit.
Opening Times
Monday – Friday: 12pm to 7pm
Saturday – Sunday: 11am to 8pm.
In addition to the Funfair there will be a Christmas Market every Thursday to Sunday from 11am – 6pm where you can browse through a wide range of unique arts, crafts and special gifts in the charming chalets along the seafront. Wander up to the town centre to sample the delicious crepes and hot treats in the Christmas Food market. The Market will be located outside Meadows and Byrne at ‘The Metals’ and on Marine Road. During Christmas week, The Market will be open Monday and Tuesday.
Magical Christmas Lantern Procession
This enchanting spectacle will see children of all ages light up the street from the People’s Park to Harbour Plaza on 14th December at 4pm. The handmade willow and tissue paper lanterns come in all Christmas shapes and sizes. The procession led by a group from Comhairle na nÓg will finish with a recital of Christmas Carols at Harbour Plaza. This is a truly spectacular event and we are expecting that hundreds of children and adults will take part.
Santa Hat World Record Attempt
Join Barnardos on Saturday, 21st December at 2pm at Dún Laoghaire Harbour Plaza as The Dun Laoghaire Christmas Festival host a World Record Attempt to gather the most people wearing Santa Hats in one place at one time in aid of Barnardos. The record is currently held by Brockton, Massachusetts, USA with 872 Santa Hat wearers assembled on November 23, 2010. So come along at 2pm to the Harbour Plaza, Dún Laoghaire wearing your Santa Hat and help break a new world record! There is an admission price of €2.00 per person with all proceeds going to support Barnardos.
New Year’s Eve Fireworks
Welcome in the New Year with a spectacular Fireworks display fired from the East and West Piers in Dún Laoghaire at midnight on Tuesday, 31st December 2013. This unique dual fireworks display is the first time ever both piers will be used simultaneously as firing sites. You can see the show from Newtownsmith in Dún Laoghaire and all around Dublin Bay. There is also a smaller fireworks display for young families at 6pm on New Year’s Eve fired from the Carlisle Pier.
There will be some disruption to walkers on both piers which will start in the early evening. There will be restricted access to the back of the West Pier from 8am on Monday, 30th December and there will be no access to the pier from after dusk on Tuesday, 31st December until after the conclusion of the event.
There will also be restricted access to the Top Tier of the East Pier from 10am Tuesday, 31st December. The closure will initially be at the Battery on the upper east pier for a distance of 100m and will move 300m from the battery on the upper East Pier at 2pm. In additional to this, from 10pm on the top level of the pier will be closed and a viewing area will be open to the public on the lower level with lower end of the pier being closed off for health and safety reasons until the conclusion of the event.
For more information on the Dún Laoghaire Christmas Festival 2013, please visit http://www.dunlaoghaire.ie/christmas-festival/.
