Mayo Day, Saturday April 30th, returns with the largest Mayo Day flagship event to date! ‘Home to where the Heart is’ sees Castlebar transformed into a hive of Mayo Day celebration with something for all the family.
Free family fun at Lough Lannagh includes tastercanoeing, kayaking and monster Stand Up Paddle Boarding sessions with Mayo Adventure Experience between 11am and 5pm. While free of charge, booking is a essential at https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/mayo-day-tickets-312832950777.
Colourful, lively and always great fun, Little Gem Puppets will see even the littlest of our visitors making new puppet friends: 12 noon, 2pm and 4pm. In between, artist and storyteller Wayne O’ Connorweaves stories to enthrall young and old: 1pm, 3pm and 5pm.
If you’ve ever wanted to run away to join a circus or learn the essential life skill of juggling, this is your chance!! Join in our fun workshops to learn all the circus skills you’ll need with our impressive Ringmaster Dea Birkett and the incredible cast of Circus 250.Graham Sweeney will also entertain.
Artisan Mayo Food producers showcase in the Mayo Day Food Village alongside cookery demonstrations by noted Mayo Chefs, street food catering, and a day full of tips and discussion about getting the best out of the wonderful fare Mayo has to offer.
In the historical setting of the Military Barracks the Mayo County Library team present exhibitions of times past from their collection, documenting the Famine in Mayo, In Humbert’s Footsteps, Michael Davitt, Old Castlebar, the War of Independence in Mayo and the special 20th anniversary revival of the 2002 Mayo in May photo event.
The creativity and skills of crafts people are key to Mayo Day. Their works will be presented in the Mayo Craft Marquee, alongside demonstrations from Castlebar Men’s Shed. To harness young creativity, Creative Together provide a special Mayo Day Mural Workshop. Suitable for all ages. Free of charge.
To compliment the surroundings of the Military Barracks, the Connacht Vintage and Veteran Motor Club, the Mayo Male Voice Choir, a Mayo Day favourite, Master Falconer Jason Deasy with his Birds of Prey, Kiltimagh Pet Farm and Westport Beekeepers, Mayo Fire Service will all have demonstrations and performances.
It's a full day of free music and fun at The Big Stage on the Mall! The line-up leads out with the The Hit Machine Drummers. Chantelle Padden follows, and Billow Wood from Ballinaare next. If you fancy a twirl around the Mall, Stuart Moyles follows. Lisa Canny and Band are next. After that, Atlantic Notes bring Mayo and the Wild Atlantic Way to life through a mix of music, song, dance and theatre.
To end a truly spectacular Mayo Day, Jiggy bring you a mercurial line up that mixes and melds Irish traditional music, world rhythms and cutting-edge dance grooves.
The Linenhall Theatre to offers an engaging mix of Mayo Day and Lá MhaighEo theatre and film:
Mumbro Top present the enthralling GráinneMhaol show between 11am and noon. Loved at home and feared abroad for her command of the seven seas, find out (as Gaeilge) what happens when one day Gráinne finally ‘crashes her boat’ on land and needs help to get back afloat. 11am to 12 noon. Free of charge but booking is essential at https://thelinenhall.ticketsolve.com/shows/873633737. Suitable for age 8+. All children to be accompanied by an adult.
Between 2.30pm and 4.30pm, fresh from the hitMayo International Film Festival, enjoy a special repeat showing of the Best of Mayo short films. Free of charge but booking is essential at https://thelinenhall.ticketsolve.com/shows/873630723. As these are independent short films no formal age rating is in place, please be advised that elements of the programme may not be suitable for younger audiences. Parental discretion is advised.The Mayo Way, a specially commissioned interactive art sculpture installation by Bryan Gerard Duffy, features an array of imagery of the people and places that symbolise the identity of Mayo, both past and present. Beside Áras an Chontae, The Mall
The Mayo Day 2022 Art Trail will be on show in the windows of Castlebar. Curated by acclaimed artist, Joanna Hopkins, it celebrates artistic interpretations the People and Places of Mayo. The Mayo Day Busker Trail will provide the background music.
The Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council, Cllr Michael Smyth, has welcomed the event programme, saying: "Mayo Day is a celebration of the 'Spirit of Mayo’ in communities worldwide, an acknowledgement of all that is great about our county and its people, a day in the year that Mayo people can claim for themselves. This flagship festival event is a fitting way to celebrate our achievements and success by showcasing the finest of art, craft, design, food, music, sport and more. After what has been a difficult two years, I invite families across the county, country and further afield, to enjoy what will be a superb event in Castlebar for Mayo Day 2022”.
