Waterford Winterval: Deise Medieval returns for 2023
Waterford’s society for living history and medieval combat ‘Deise Medieval’ returns to Winterval this year with their traditional early Viking settlement open to visitors for free at St. Martin’s Gate on Spring Garden Alley.
Opening every Sunday of the Winterval Festival from noon to 5 pm from November 18th to December 17th Deise Medieval will recreate a tented village manned by experienced re-enactors. All the participants dress, live and work in an authentic recreation of Viking life. In a family-friendly atmosphere, visitors can see the daily life and crafts practised by our ancestors including; spinning, weaving, leather working, metalwork and black smiting, coin striking and woodwork.
Their period tents are full of homely furniture and household goods, authentic cooking is done over the open fire, and all the re-enactors are friendly and very experienced in demonstrating their crafts and answering questions..... visitors may be able to try some crafts for themselves and can certainly learn to play Hnefatafl a popular Viking board game. Demonstrations will include, coin striking, spinning and weaving, arrow making, leather work and spice trades!
In a new addition to Winterval the brand newly opened Waterford Cultural Quarter Place (WCQ Place) on O’Connell Street will be used for the festival time. The new community and cultural space will be host to Lego workshops and entertainment events for children throughout the Winterval Festival and alongside it on Hanover Street a range of crafts from the Waterford Cultural Quarter will be available for sale at the Winterval Market. There will be a variety of crafts and treats; from woollen products to wood carvings, paintings to driftwood creations and jewellery all produced by a range of diverse cultures, including African, Polish, German, Ukraine, and Bulgarian all made by creators from the Waterford Cultural Quarter Craft Market
The festival will officially begin on November 17th at 5 pm with a gigantic Christmas Parade rolling through Waterford from its Quayside to the top of John Robert’s Square. The parade will see the arrival of Santa Claus in a special and spectacular way where he will travel to the festival’s main stage for the switching on the City’s Christmas lights, marking the beginning of festivities in Ireland’s oldest City.
The Winterval Festival will take place until December 23rd with plenty to see and do for everyone in the family from the ice rink on the city’s Quayside to the vintage Ferris wheel at Arundel Square, a vintage carousel in John Robert’s Square, the Port of Waterford Eye and the Winterval mini Express train, the Elf workshops, Polish Christmas, a Gerbola Christmas Circus, Santa’s VR sleigh ride, helter-skelter, helicopter trips with Santa, a fantastical ‘Adventure of Narnia’ show which will be hosted at a mini Big Top in the heart of the City at Jenkin’s Lane and more. Santa will be taking centre stage at the festival in the city's heart on Michael Street. He will be ensconced in his candy-filled Gingerbread House in the city centre for Winterval.
The free events on the programme include a gigantic and magical talking postbox, a GLOW garden, an incredible Winterval Illuminates light show, a Viking Elf trail hunt, storytelling sessions, a free music stage, a model circus and fairground exhibition and lots more.
Winterval is supported by Waterford City and County Council and local, national and international businesses; including Bausch + Lomb, Glenveagh Homes, Expressway, City Square Shopping Centre and the Port of Waterford as named sponsors of the Port of Waterford Eye.
The full Winterval Festival programme is available to view and book online at www.winterval.ie