It’s all of a buzz in the City for Harvest

With so many family and community events popping up throughout the Harvest Festival, Waterford City will certainly be buzzing from September 12^th to 14^th.  Wyse Park, New Street Gardens and People’s Park will host a vast array of activities. 

In New Street Gardens there will be cookery demonstrations, bee-keeping classes, GIY workshops, puppet making, live music and plenty of family fun! Wyse Park kicks off with a Hoedown on Friday thanks to St Brigid’s Family & Community Centre and Inner City Youth Project, so don’t forget to swing your ‘pardner do-si so’. There will also be herbal remedy stalls, storytelling, food craft, not to mention building -a- Bed led by Waterford Civic Trust St John Priory Project and the GROW Project.

People’s Park is all about Picnics and Play with giant Jenga, boules and chess, not to mention the muddy mayhem, games, science and foodie fun activities all Saturday afternoon proudly brought to you by Caulfield’s SuperValu.

Let the kids’ creativity and imaginations run wild as they make their own cupcakes, pasta art, noodle doodles or paper gardens in the City Square Shopping Centre. The City Library will be transformed by the mad cap antics of clowns, acrobats and all things circus!

City POP is brought to Harvest by an eclectic mix of skilled local people and artistic innovators. It aims to bring an exciting and eye-catching visual element to the streets of Waterford. Passers-by can interact with the energy of the festival through larger than life creations and art installations. Keep an eye out for The Grow Project's latest creative outdoor installation- a colourful makeover for the gardener's humble friend, the wheelbarrow!

Follow the ‘Green Trail’ and discover guerrilla gardens and pop up planting, all adding a Harvest feel to the Waterford landscape. The ‘Green Team’- GIY Waterford, Ballybeg Greens and Ucasadh - has been busy planting and plotting to lay a living carpet under the Viking Long Boat.

Stroll along Scarecrow Street, watch out for frying pans and watering cans overhead and check out the giant veg patch in John Roberts Square, or spot the amazing signposts built with skill and care from Traditional Craft by Waterford.

Art on the Railings is another colourful addition to the festival on Saturday, September 13th from 11am to 4pm. With over 35 artists showcasing their talents on the railings around Bishop’s Palace and Christ Church Cathedral you can be sure to pick up a quirky, affordable and original piece of work. 

All roads lead to Waterford on 12^th - 14th September.  If you want to know more the Harvest Festival’s full programme of events is available on http://www.waterfordharvestfestival.ie/.  The Festival brochure has been distributed and is widely available throughout the City and County.  Be sure to keep up to date on all things Harvest Fest by checking it out on Facebook and Twitter.

Local Food Hero’s central to Harvest Festival in Waterford City

From the smallest food businesses working from home kitchens to international market leaders of the food industry, this year’s Harvest Festival will showcase the best of what Waterford and the South East food producers have to offer.

The Harvest Festival takes place in Waterford City on the weekend of the 12th to 14th September 2014. Now in its sixth year, the three day festival has built a reputation as a valuable showcase for local and regional food producers.  Young and young at heart alike will be able to find something to whet their appetites throughout Waterford’s city centre, the Viking Triangle and the three City Centre Parks.

Since pagan times, the harvest festival has been a time to celebrate the crop, where family and community to relax and enjoy the fruits of their labour, and this year’s festival intends to do just that. New events to the programme include The Big Taste in John Robert’s Square, The New Street Garden Party and Wyse Weekend, along with the welcome return of the Enterprising Food Village, Picnic & Play in the Park and The Viking Rocks Craft Beerfest.

From buttered blaas to BLT’s, craft beer to creamy cupcakes, pulled pork to garden greens, Waterford Harvest Festival has something to suit all taste buds. Visitors can expect a variety of succulent street food from festival favourites and a smorgasbord of celebrity chefs such as Darina Allen in the Grow HQ Kitchen event.

Chair, Paul Nolan is looking forward to this year’s Festival, “We are extremely excited with the plans for September’s Harvest Festival. Personally I am delighted that this year we are focusing on highlighting, promoting and supporting the food producers in the region.”

“We want to make it a city wide festival that encompasses city centre retail, the historic Viking triangle and amenities such as New Street Gardens, Wyse Park and the People’s Park. We hope everyone supports their local food producers and enjoys what will be a wonderful weekend.”

This year’s festival promises a congruence of sights, sounds, tastes and aromas with cookery demonstrations, foodie films, tastings and workshops, all making Waterford City one big street party for Harvest weekend.

All roads lead to Waterford on 12^th - 14th September.  If you want to know more the Harvest Festival’s full programme of events is available on http://www.waterfordharvestfestival.ie/.  

A Festival brochure will be distributed and also widely available throughout the City and County over the coming weeks.  Be sure to keep up to date on all things Harvest Fest by checking it out on Facebook and Twitter

Spraoi’s ‘String of Sound’ to surround Kite Studios

Kite Design Studios, in Henrietta Street, will certainly be busy during this year’s Waterford Spraoi weekend as the studio sponsors a new event, String of Sound, on the festival’s opening evening.

On Friday, August 2^nd, a group of selected Waterford musicians and bands will create a unique music trail in the Viking Triangle, performing a series of intimate music recitals, with evening performances at the Kite Design Studios in Henrietta Street.

With hundreds of free events peppered throughout Waterford City Spraoi has become synonymous with delighting locals and visitors alike over the August Bank Holiday weekend. 

Sean Egan, Master Engraver at Sean Egan Artglass, which is housed in the Kite Design Studios is enthusiastic about the performances.  “It’s hard not to draw parallels between Spraoi and Kite.  Spraoi has cultivated some phenomenal talent in Waterford over the last 21 years to the delight of the people of Waterford and the South East.”

“The Kite collective consists of local artists creating exciting and innovative craft pieces, from glassware to jewellery to ceramics.  Our artists have a shared vision in promoting exceptional craft, artistic talent and design in Waterford, in many respects similar to what Spraoi does.  That’s why we felt it would be a perfect fit to get involved with Spraoi this year and are happy to be associated with the ‘String of Sound’ trail”, Sean added.

T.V. Honan, Director of Spraoi, was delighted to have the support of the Kite Design Studios during the festival.  “Each year we strive to make Spraoi bigger, better, wackier, more off the wall and zanier.  Without the support of businesses like Kite we wouldn’t be in a position to do so.”

“The fact that the connections between Spraoi and Kite are so strong makes the fit even better.  In fact, we take great pride in the fact that both enterprises have, as such, been ‘forged in Waterford’.”

‘String of Sound’ will feature emerging and established Waterford bands and musicians performing an eclectic mix of music across all genres, while at the same time animating some of Waterford’s more unusual spaces.  The sessions will commence at 8pm on Friday, August 2^nd around Henrietta Street / Viking Triangle and finish as darkness descends on the city.

For further information about Waterford Spraoi pick up a brochure from any Maxol or Supermacs outlet in Waterford City or visit www.spraoi.com.  You can find Kite Design Studios on Facebook or by calling 051 858914.

Button and Co. has the last four years sewn up!

Button and Co., which creates unique and innovative jewellery collections, celebrates its fourth birthday this month.

The business, which was started by Waterford goldsmith Elaine Sarah Comerford, has had an eventful four years; won many awards, received numerous glowing citations from the craft world and has even been backed by a Dragon.

According to Elaine Sarah the inspiration came from her mum who is an avid sewer.  “When I was little my Mum used to make a lot of our clothes and I was always surrounded by bits of fabric, patterns and button tins.  Many years later during a visit home I noticed the button tin as if for the first time and it evoked really strong childhood memories.  From there, Button and Co. was born.”

Inspired by the memories that related to the button tin Elaine Sarah created a collection of jewellery that would represent people's memories. The memory bracelet was her first creation and since then Elaine Sarah has produced over 20 further collections, including the Signature Collection, Button and Co. Bridal and the C’est Moi Collection.

In 2009, Elaine Sarah was a contestant on RTE’s Dragons’ Den, which gives Irish entrepreneurs the chance to pitch their business ideas to five venture capitalists. Button and Co. was backed by then Dragon, Niall O’ Farrell and Elaine Sarah hasn’t looked back.

“In the past four years I was honoured to be invited onto the panel for the Young Entrepreneur Awards in Kerry, I have addressed Dublin’s Rotary Club as part of their International Women’s Day Celebrations and we have won several industry awards including Best Product and Editor’s Choice at the London International Jewellery Show.”

July is cause for double celebration as Button and Co. recently moved into its new premises, the Kite Design Studio, a collective of creative and innovative craftspeople producing some of Waterford’s finest crafts in the heart of the Viking Triangle.

Ciaran Cullen, Chief Executive, Waterford City Enterprise Board welcomed Button and Co. to the Kite Design Studios.  “We are delighted to have Elaine Sarah working as part of the Kite collective.  The studio houses a host of exciting and novel craftspeople creating a superb range of glass, ceramics and jewellery. 

In the short time that Elaine Sarah has been at Kite, she has proved herself a natural leader and is working well with the other businesses in the studio in building the profile of craft in Waterford.”

To celebrate its 4th Birthday Button and Co. is giving away a beautiful piece of jewellery.  Find out more details of how you could win by checking out www.facebook.com/buttonandco or call Button and Co. on 051 858914.

If you have a start- up idea talk to Waterford City Enterprise Board by calling 051 852883 or go to www.waterfordceb.com.