Mayor and Santa send Winterval into orbit for 2024
The Mayor of Waterford City & County, Cllr.Jason Murphy is pictured with Santa and singers Nora O'Sullivan and Evie Byrne. Photo: Noel Browne
After months of build-up, Winterval 2024 officially opened in Waterford on Friday evening, November 15, when throngs of people gathered on Broad Street and John Roberts Square for the switching of the Yuletide lights.
Doing the honours were Santa Claus and Mayor of Waterford City and County Cllr. Jason Murphy, turning on the lights to the strains of Wizard classic, "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday."
The city centre was a hive of excitement, with the many Winterval stalls now open for business, from huts offering everything from wooden Viking shields to Polish bruschetta.
Hundreds of people came out to Ireland's oldest city to see the grand event.
On Saturday evening, a spectacular parade took place along the Mall, travelling the time-honoured Spraoi route from Johnstown - with plenty of trademark Spraoi antics and creatures.
The parade, said to be the largest Christmas parade of its kind in Ireland, featured the big draws of the festival, including the Winterval Mini-Express train, Trash Test Dummies, the cast of Waterford Panto and the delightful Waterford Viking elves, a giant ‘Brick Boy’ Lego man, the WAMA Postbox collection elves and much more.
Following the parade, a spectacular special effects display was showcased from the natural stage setting of Bishop's Palace, and audiences were awed with sounds, light, and colour displays projected onto the stunning building facade.
There were awe-inspiring musical performances from the roof of the Theatre Royal from Kayleigh Quinlan, accompanied by an orchestra led by Killian Browne, while beats from the Big Bang drumming band got the crowds dancing in the streets.
Festival favourites, such as the Winterval Illuminates Lightshow on Arundel Square, the ice rink on the city's Quayside, as well as the vintage Ferris wheel at Arundel Square, the vintage carousel in John Roberts Square, the Port of Waterford Eye and the Winterval Mini Express train, are all back for this year's programme of events.
Also included are Elf workshops, Polish Christmas, Santa's VR sleigh ride in Cathedral Square, the ever-popular helter skelter, and more.
Santa takes centre stage at the festival, of course, residing in the City's medieval caverns underneath the stunning Medieval Museum in the Viking Triangle.
The festival organisers also pointed out that "over half of the programme is free of charge".
Waterford’s Viking heritage is also well represented with a wonderful Viking Yule Village hosted by Déise Medieval every Sunday in Blackfriars Church.
