Brave Maeve Family Festival | July 27th & 28th 2024

Saturday, July 27th & Sunday, 28th 2024

Join us this summer, where you’ll see a legend come to life…

AWAKEN THE MAGIC…

Brave Maeve Family Festival debuts this year, celebrating family, folklore, and fun, inspired by the mythical tale of Brave Maeve.

Celebrate the mythical story of Brave Maeve, a legendary heroine awakening from a centuries-long slumber to bring magic, courage, and joy back to the land.

This family-friendly festival combines folklore with fun, offering enchanting activities and delightful experiences for all ages.

Festivalgoers will witness the magical moment when Brave Maeve awakens from her long slumber at a scheduled short, interactive storytelling session and more…

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS

The festival promises a magical experience for all and will take place along Bray Seafront on Saturday, July 27th, and Sunday, July 28th, 2024, daily from noon until 7 pm. Admission is entirely free (no tickets are required). Take a look at our festival highlights below:

You can get up close and personal with adorable animals at the petting farm daily from noon to 4 pm

On Saturday from noon to 1 pm, the festival’s puppet shows will feature mythical tales as their theme

Enjoy the vibrant Seafront Funfair, which opens at noon until 10 pm and features classic rides, games, and attractions for thrill-seekers and families alike

Reuben the Entertainer reigns supreme, experience his fantastic magic show daily at 2:30 pm and 3:30 pm

Local dance groups will perform daily from 1:15 pm on the iconic seafront bandstand, showcasing special routines inspired by the legend of Brave Maeve. The live performances will also feature bands and acts from the local area

Talented storytellers will recount the epic tales of Brave Maeve’s adventures and her heroic deeds at 1 pm daily

Mythical-themed arts and crafts workshops will take place from noon to 4 pm daily. No pre-registration is required.

In all honesty, who doesn’t love bubbles? Well, the Bubble Guys will perform a Giant Bubble Show every 30 minutes on Sunday.

Get your groove on at the lively open-air Disco Bambino, set against the charming backdrop of the bandstand on Sunday from noon to 1 pm.

As if that were not enough, all weekend food trucks will offer a variety of cuisines to cater to all tastes, while artisan vendors will offer handmade crafts and more…

The story of ‘Brave Maeve’ the giant is illustrated on a trail of images along Bray seafront. The story follows a young giant adventurer called Maeve as she sets out to find a home for her people and battles many monsters along the way.

This Bray Mythology was written and illustrated by Chris Judge with the help of 50 local Wicklow children who between them, devised this exciting story.

People can travel along the trail using a special map and read the story together with their family or simply use their imaginations and create their own adventure with Maeve and the creatures she meets. The story is told in several brightly coloured murals in various spots along Bray’s seafront.

The project was curated by Donna Carroll and funded by Platform Pizza, Bray Municipal District, Megazyme and Bray Credit Union. The beautiful murals were painted by the team in Triskill.

It won the ‘Best Use of Creativity in the Community’ Award’ at the Business to Arts Awards 2018.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is it free admission to the festival?

Yes, it’s free admission, no ticket is required to the festival but charges apply on all Funfair attractions, food, craft vendors and selected games and competitions.

When is the festival taking place?

The festival will take place on the weekend of July 27th and 28th 2024 – Daily from 12 pm to 7 pm.

Is the festival weather permitting?

All events and activities are subject to change without notice and are weather permitting.

I want to become a festival vendor, who do I contact?

As of Monday, July 8th 2024, we are not accepting any more vendor applications.

Artisan Events manages the Food, Craft & Brand Village at the festival so if you have any questions please see artisanevents.ie or call +353 1 4969883.

What’s the best way to get to the festival?

Visitors are encouraged where possible to use available public transport services as there is limited paid parking available along Bray Seafront. Plan your journey at bray.ie/directions/.

Is the festival pet-friendly?

The festival takes along a public space on Strand Road, Bray. The outdoor location is pet-friendly.

Please be mindful that your pet needs to be comfortable in noisy environments and remember don’t let your dog off the leash in crowded areas.

Be considerate of other people and dogs: Not everyone is comfortable around dogs, so ask before you let your pet approach someone.

Some dogs become overwhelmed and overstimulated, so could you check in on your pet and be ready to leave or have someone pick up your dog?

Don’t forget to pack enough waste bags to clean up after your pet and #LeaveNoTrace.

The Brave Maeve Family Festival is part of the #SummerInBray tourism campaign, which is a collaborative effort involving the Bray and District Chamber of Commerce, Bray Municipal District, Wicklow County Council and bray.ie. The campaign’s goal is to promote tourism products and strengthen the local economy. bray.ie is the trading name of Bray Tourism.

Click here to read more about the other fantastic family fun-filled events on offer in the much-loved seaside resort this summer.