Save the dates! Details of Waterford Harvest Festival 2024 are confirmed

The full programme of events for this year's Waterford Harvest Festival have been announced with just over a month to go.

Now in its 15th year, the Festival takes place between September 6 and September 8. It celebrates great food and the people who produce it.

Taking place in venues across Waterford city Harvest Festival promises to be a treat for the senses with food demos, honey making, storytelling, fine dining experiences and live music. 

Last year, around 45,000 visitors attended the Festival over the three days with many events sold out well in advance. 

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Once again, this year's Festival will spotlight the best of local and Irish producers and the region’s food heritage, with the emphasis very much on taste and entertainment with an added dash of sustainability. Festival highlights for 2024 include exclusive fine dining experience in City Hall with Keith Boyle, cooking demonstrations by The Happy Pear, storytelling with Eddie Lenihan, the Food Market, and live performances from Andy Irvine and The Hothouse Flowers.

The festival is supported by Waterford City and County Council, which has specified that the Festival deliver a green, environmentally sustainable event, while minimising food waste and carbon emissions.

For food lovers there will be several mouthwatering food centric events to get your taste buds excited. These include food demonstrations by Caribbean Cook Off, Smokin’ Soul Cookery Demo, and The Happy Pear.  This will be complimented by a series of food talks and demonstrations from local restaurants and producers’ courtesy of Taste Waterford.

Restaurants taking part include the multi-awarding winning Momo and MICHELIN guide featured Everette’s. Everett’s has retained the Michelin Bib Gourmand award since 2022, which recognises restaurants that achieve high standards of food and service at a great value price. The kitchen uses the best of the South-East’s produce and has benefitted from building strong relationships with local suppliers.

This year will also see the return of the Festival Market. Waterford Harvest Festival operates will the aim of showcasing local producers, last year saw 50 traders, 50 per cent of these businesses were from County Waterford.  

A festival highlight, and sure to sell out, the Harvest Festival Homecoming Dinner and Lunch with Chef Keith Boyle in City Hall. This year also sees the return and fan favourite the EWBA Honey Tasting along with the Ballybeg Greens Festival Garden, a food history walking tour and wine tasting.

The Waterford Harvest Festival offers an array of entirely free events for everyone to enjoy. Expanding on last year’s event there are now four areas of live music and in addition there will be vast array of entertainment and things to see, do and eat throughout the festival weekend. 

Musical entertainment includes a set by the Hothouse Flowers in Christchurch Cathedral, along with free live music headlined by Andy Irvine, The Blue Belles, Dublin City Ramblers, Lorcan Reddly and Emma Langford peppered throughout John Roberts Square, Arundel Square, Gladstone Street and O’Connell Street.

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Meanwhile, storytellers Eddie Lenihan and Helena Byrne will bring tales of mystery, magic and myth to life in the city. Tony Hayes will lead a Glass Master Demo and big and small kids can take part in the WAMA Drumming workshop. Families will enjoy the Art Storm Workshop, The Irish Animal Roadshow, Kids Dance Workshop, The Catwalk Chronicles, the Pat Rocket Flashmob, Wobbly’s Circus Workshop and Disco Brunch at the Palace.

With a mix of free and ticketed events, tickets are on sale now for Hothouse Flowers in Christchurch Cathedral Waterford and the Home Coming with Chef Keith Boyle in Dr Mary Strangeman Large Room, City Hall, Waterford on tickets.ie and waterfordharvestfestival.ie.

Submissions from food and drinks producers for the Harvest Festival Market are open on the Waterford Harvest Festival website.