Editorial: Seasons greetings from Waterford, European City of Christmas
Seasons greetings from Waterford, the European City of Christmas. Photo: Joe Evans
Waterford has enjoyed a phenomenal festive season, with Winterval pulling off an extravaganza that has proven a boon for the city centre, with thousands of visitors enjoying all that our European City of Christmas has to offer.
It has been fantastic to see the atmosphere of crowds of people lapping up everything, from the simple delights of a hot chocolate after a session of ice-skating, to the spectacle of a monster truck, the entertainment of Big Top Live and so much more.
But alongside all the novelty of Winterval, what has truly shone is Waterford.
The hospitality of Waterford, the excellence of our cafes and restaurants, the standard of our hotels - rooms overlooking the beautiful River Suir in accommodation all along the quays and beyond.
The beautiful urban realm; lanes with tables spilling onto the pavements, museums and cultural offerings to spend some quiet time, boutiques and independent retailers with everything from local crafts to gorgeous, curated fashion.
Our city is often criticised for not having certain leading brand names and stores – and they are of course missed and much-needed – but Waterford is not waiting idly by. There is a vibrancy here that is delighting those new to Suirside, that perhaps they did not quite expect. Many of these are visitors from not too far afield, who will return.
It has often been spoken of that people are exiting the city via the M9 to shop and find entertainment in the likes of Kilkenny and Dublin, but Waterford is starting to turn that flow about.
Increasingly, Waterford is the place where people are coming to day-trip and staycation. There is no longer a need to head to Kilkenny for that Christmas market experience – we have it here in abundance now. There is no longer a need to leave for beauty in our urban streetscape – we have it here. You may even seek the outdoors with your city break – where else does such a fantastic greenway bring you right to the doorstep of a buzzing city.
Great credit must be extended to all those behind Winterval because in fashioning a festival of such calibre Waterford has developed a platform event to deliver in the strongest possible terms the strength of its brand.
The organisers of Winterval have brought imagination and magic to bear, and put on nothing short of a spectacle each year since its inception, which has opened doors far beyond Ireland to our Viking city.
When revellers gather under the magnificent mirrored Apple Market and wave at a screen to people elsewhere, they are waving to people curious about Ireland, people curious about our European City of Christmas, people curious about Waterford.
Christmas is all about community, about families and friends gathering together in celebration. During midwinter in Ireland, Winterval has captured the essence of that.
It has proven an economic success story because it gives people what they truly need, an opportunity to connect, to spend time together.
If you haven’t already, take a spin on the Port of Waterford Eye and look down on beautiful Waterford. We have much to be proud of in Ireland’s oldest city as we close out 2024.
From the Waterford News & Star, we wish you all a very happy and peaceful Christmas.
