ANOTHER PACKED schedule of summer events gets under way around Dublin city centre this week and is expected to bring about 500,000 visitors to the public parks and spaces around the capital.
The “Summer in Dublin 2010” festival runs until September and is organised by the Dublin City Business Association (DCBA) which hopes to attract families holidaying at home into the city centre with an array of free events for all ages.
Organisers are aiming to develop the festival’s reputation after its success last year and are hoping that events such as the Street Performance World Championships and Culture Night will attract another large audience this time around.
Some new events have been added to the schedule such as the Viking Festival, taking visitors back in time to medieval Dublin with re-enactments and demonstrations of fighting and cooking skills.
The Shakespeare festival starts next Monday, June 7th, and is running in various locations including St Stephen’s Green, The Botanic Gardens and Christchurch Cathedral until Sunday, 13th.
Chief executive of the DCBA, Tom Coffey said: "Only last week Dublin was ranked as a better city to live in than Paris or London according to the Mercer Worldwide Quality of Life Survey. . . This festival will provide a day out for families but also cater for other people who enjoy visiting galleries and other cultural areas."
The Samuel Beckett Bridge will open this evening to welcome a trio of tall ships; the Artemis, Bessie Ellenand the Notre Dame de Rumengol,which are due to arrive for the seventh annual Docklands Maritime Festival at the weekend.
This year’s Docklands Maritime Festival runs from Friday, June 4th 1pm-10pm to Monday, June 7th to 6pm (on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday the Festival will open at 10am).