This is a subscriber-only article
For years, Ballymaloe was the place to be in mid-May for the Ballymaloe Lit Fest.
And now Ballymaloe Grainstore will be alive again, but this time it's for the May Fair Festival, which takes place from 20 to 22 May.
As is the Ballymaloe way, the focus will be on celebrating the best of Irish food producers, but it will also celebrate fashion, home and garden, with a host of events and activities planned for both children and adults.
Demonstrations
The weekend includes cooking and cocktail-making demonstrations from the likes of Darina Allen, Rory O’Connell, Paul Flynn from the Tannery Restaurant, Andy Ferreira from Cask and Arun Kapil from Green Saffron.
Those with a sweet tooth are in for a treat, as Ballymaloe House’s resident head chef Dervilla O'Flynn and sweets kitchen chef JR will join forces to produce a delicious afternoon tea menu with sandwiches, cakes, biscuits and more.
There are limited spaces for this, so those interested in attending are advised to book their spot when purchasing their entry tickets for the fair.
You can make a night of it as there will be a great selection of food trucks serving delicious meals.
Soak up the atmosphere by enjoying the live music and DJs present both Friday and Saturday evening and, if you fancy it, treat yourself to a glass of wine or beer while you’re at it.
Kids' workshops
For kids, there will be a drop and go service run in conjunction with Kathy from Brixx club and Louise from Clayotic, with a creative workshop area for kids.
These workshops will run throughout Saturday and Sunday from 10am at a cost of €10 per child per hour.
It’s win-win as the hour-long workshops will give you a chance to wander the stalls, do a workshop or catch a cooking demo while the kids are entertained building Lego and model clay masterpieces.
Tickets are €10 each, with children under 12 free at www.ballymaloegrainstore.ie.
Walks, talks, tours, cookery and cocktail demonstrations are all included with your entry ticket.
For full event listings or to book your tickets, visit here.
SHARING OPTIONS: