Hi all!

I am just back from a charity gig in Arnotts where we (Gardiner Street Gospel Choir) were “booked” (It was for charity so we didn’t get any money!) to do carol singing. We don’t really to carol singing, so it was Gospel songs with some Christmas songs sprinkled in. But the reason why I am telling you this is because I am shocked that on the 22nd of November the pre-Christmas period is in full swing! The lights in Grafton Street once were switched on on the 1st of December. This year they are already on for more than a week. I love Christmas, but not THIS early.

Still this week I have to report a large number of Christmas related events, but you just do what ever YOU prefer with Christmas events in November! :-)

And it starts right here: On Saturday St. Killians, the German School in Clonskeagh (Roebuck Road), will have their annual Christmas Bazaar.
It will be on from 12:00-16:00 and you can see and buy Authentic German Christmas Decorations, Crafts – Books – Toys, Traditional German food, Hand-made Advent & Christmas Wreaths. There is no charge to attend. www.kilians.com/index.html

Another Christmas Fair takes place in Ballyfermot on Sat from 11:00 – 17:00: Following on from the last two years successful Christmas fairs this year’s show will take place in the Ballyfermot Civic Centre. A variety of Christmas stands will be available to purchase gifts. Santa will also be available to visit. Free admission and Parking Available.
www.ballyfermotpartnership.ie/content/view/87/1/lang,en/

Are there any Russell Brand fans here? On Saturday from 15:00 Russell Brand is signing copies of “Russell Brand Memoir” in Eason’s in O’Connell St.

On Saturday evening (18:30 – 20:30) the Asia-Europe Forum for Young Photographers is inviting to a “Night of Photography” in Dun Laoghaire. The Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT) hosts a show from 20 talented Photographers from Europe and Asia.
www.iadt.ie/en/InformationAbout/NewsEvents/Title,1244,en.html

The Sunday at Noon concert in the Hugh Lane Gallery will be “An American and Paris” by the Ensemble Avalon – Piano Trio. If you did go a number of times to the Sunday at Noon concert, please note that the Ensemble Avalon has performed the same concert in the Hugh Lane Gallery a few weeks back, so you might have heard it already before.

As well on Sunday is the Festival of Light (a.k.a. the lighting of the Christmas Tree in O’Connell Street). This is one of the badly promoted events that Dublin City is becoming known for. A pity because so much work and money is going into it. But luckily you are reading this Event Guide and therefore find out about all this “secret events”. At the Festival visitors can enjoy entertainment by the Discovery Choir, as they make their way from Wolfe Tone Park to O’Connell Street, watch the Lion Dance weave its way down Henry Street and enjoy the traditional carol singing of the St. Andrew’s choir to finish off the festivities. The Dublin Fire Brigade Pipe Band will kick off the entertainment in O’Connelll Street at 16:15 and the parade will leave Wolfe Tone Park for O’Connell Street at 16:30. Red ribbons to highlight World Aids Day taking place on 1st December will be placed on the Christmas tree.

“The George” on South Great George’s Street is trying to appeal to a wider audience and is now featuring Zrazy, a Jazz group every Sunday afternoon from 16.00 – 18.30. Admission is free. And the advertisement goes like this “Led by Maria Walsh (vocals/flute) and Carole Nelson (piano) and backed by a full Jazz Quartet, Zrazy promise jazzy groove, bossa nova and swing – all with a side order of Afternoon Tea! The perfect antidote to any Saturday night.”

And a suggestion for our Polish Readers: The pub “Pravda” in Lower Liffey Street has a new Polish club night and says this “Polish Club night promises the best of Polish cinema followed by a DJ to round off the weekend”.

The North Fingal County Festival is coming to an end this weekend, but before that, two highlights are on offer:
On Saturday (24 Nov) from 12:00-17:00 the Balbriggan Town Hall will be the venue for the “Taste of Nations” food fair. Everyone is invited to sample foods from around the world as well as admire traditional clothes in the fashion show. There will also be a talent competition and entertainment from various performers, including the newly formed Balbriggan Gospel Choir. There will be a supervised children’s corner.
Entry is free.

Later on the same day (Sat) in Rush an “Intercultural Music Session” will take place in the Sailing Club from 20:00. Anyone who likes to play an instrument, sing or even just listen to music is welcome to join in an informal and relaxed music session in Rush. The evening is hosted by Rinceoil Fingal, a group who have been working together for twelve years to teach, encourage and perform Irish music, song and dance. Entry is free.

Since this week many events are on, I could give our regular feature of the “Permanent Free Event of the Week” a miss, but since I started a few weeks ago the suggested events (Temple Bar Food Market, National Gallery, Government Buildings) were particularly positively received by many readers of this Event Guide, so I will continue that good spell:

Have you ever heard about the IMMA? The IMMA is the Irish Museum of Modern Art. (www.modernart.ie/en/index.htm) The Museum is Ireland’s leading national institution for the collection and presentation of modern and contemporary art and is based in Kilmainham in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham. At the moment five (!!) different exhibitions are shown and in addition to the interesting exhibitions the building and the grounds around it are already worth a visit. There is unlimited free car parking, but a number of buses bring you close to it as well. The IMMA is open Tuesday – Saturday: 10:00-17:30, except Wednesday: 10:30-17:30 and Sunday and Bank Holidays: 12:00-17:30. It is closed on Mondays. Admission is free to all exhibitions.

Sunday is “White Ribbon Day”. White Ribbon Day is the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. There are no activities in Ireland about that, but if you are interested, you can find out more here:
www.un.org/depts/dhl/violence/
www.whiteribbon.ca/

Packed to the brim is this Event Guide again! I hope you find something that you enjoy and I hope that the Christmas spirit is taking hold of you soon because there is no escaping anymore. And with Christmas I think resistance is futile, so let yourself engulf by candle light, Xmas lights, the smell of mulled wine, the quaint Christmas markets ……and the stomping herds of mad shoppers in Grafton Street! Eeeek! :-)

Have a nice weekend!

–Joerg

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Disclaimer: This Event Guide with a difference is sent to friends, colleagues and whoever else is interested to let you know about (mostly free) events in the Greater Dublin Area! Ticketed events usually make enough money to do their own advertisement, they don’t need extra help.
I started this because some friends asked me to share my weekend plans with them as I went to all types of festivals and searched for more. ;-) If you don’t want to receive this mail, just let me know. If you have feedback, good or bad, PLEASE tell me. If you want to be added to the mailing list or know somebody who would like to receive this guide, just send a mail to dublineventguide@gmail.com.
BTW: I have no affiliation with any of the organisers and don’t get any “reward” from them for advertising their events.
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