By Dan Walsh
Following the success of its inaugural event last year, the vibrant North Wexford community of Kilanerin is calling on lovers of food, heritage, and vintage machinery to visit the village once again for their second Kilanerin Food and Heritage Festival taking place this weekend – Saturday and Sunday, September 14th-15th – which attracted more than 1,500 visitors to Kilanerin from Wexford, Wicklow and beyond last year.
Organised by, and in aid of Kilanerin Tidy Towns and Kilanerin Ballyfad Community Development Association (KBCDA), the two-day event is suitable for all ages and will feature live music, talks and demonstrations and plenty of kids’ activities including competitions, facepainting, pot planting and will once again feature everything from old-style bread making to modern-day cookery demonstrations, and from archive photos and videos to steam engines and vintage tools.
Following hot on the heels of Ballymaloe’s Rachel Allen last year, the star attraction of the weekend is Wexford’s own celebrity chef, Kevin Dundon, who is making the trip from the award-winning Dunbrody House Hotel for a special cookery demonstration on Saturday evening at Kilanerin Community Centre.
National President of the Irish Countrywomen’s Association, Mary Darcy from Kilanerin, will continue where she left-off last year by making traditional and delicious brown bread on an open fire.
Apart from the Kevin Dundon event, the organisers are planning cookery and food demonstrations by local chefs and producers; an artisan food market with the best of local producers; food trucks offering tasty hot food; and a series of talks on everything from beekeeping to fermentation.
Other exhibitions and demonstrations over the two days will include woodturning, blacksmithing, flour grinding, and a demonstration of old tools and how they were used. There will be steam engines and other machinery on display throughout the weekend.
This year’s festival is part funded through Fáilte Ireland in partnership with Wexford County Council – Festival Grant Scheme 2024.
Entrance to the Kilanerin Food and Heritage Festival (which will run from 11am to 4pm on both days) is €10, with kids going free and complimentary car parking.
The Kevin Dundon evening is a special ticketed event and includes a glass of bubbles on arrival and a chance to win some special prizes. Doors open from 6.30pm, with the demonstration starting at 7pm. Tickets costing €25 (plus booking fee) can be purchased in advance on www.gr8events.ie or by calling Kilanerin Community Centre on 0402 44555. People are also asked to follow @kilanerin_tidy_towns and Kilanerin CommunityCentre on Facebook or Instagram for festival updates and demonstration timetables.
WexfordLocal.com 