Winterval 2018

Max Powers

engiweirdo wrote: »

Fake triumphism Max. Achieves nothing. Most here are not doing as well as they could or indeed should be. Lets be honest at least. If not Dublin or Cork, make a reasonable comparison to Limerick or Galway. Still pretty bleak.

Not fake at all, presume you mean triumphalism. far from bleak, you continue with your incessant bleakness though, but take it from me (a lot of us have struggled), that achieves nothing to help your situation.

alta stare

Deiseen wrote: »

Same as Waterford isnt.

Arent you one of the many posters on here who love their high horse when it comes to people being negative about Waterford? Are you not being negative now yourself????

Fwiw i wont bother looking at your post history to see if i am right as i am not that pathetic. If i have mixed you up with someone else then you have my sincerest apologies for the above paragraph.

Max Powers

Due to weather warning markets and some outdoor events cancelled for tomorrow, indoor stuff going ahead for now...keep an eye on their websites if planning anything tomorrow.

er1983

Deiseen wrote: »

Any tourist that I've known that's ever been to Galway has loved it. It's a great place.

I went September last year and tbh I wouldn't go back

greenspurs

hmmm ....
I was in around yesterday... and I don't know.
I really really want to like it , but this year it just seems to be there, Not much buzz around really.

The lightshow was ..... disappointing. Not much to do with Christmas really, it would be a superb show for a Eurovision entry, but there is very little Christmas feel to it imo. "pop" songs are great, but maybe Xmas songs would be more appropriate/better ?

It just feels like its turned into a place where stalls and a few carousels turn up for a few weekends.... Not a real festival or Xmas feeling around it..... imo.

dzilla

er1983 wrote: »

I went September last year and tbh I wouldn't go back

Their loss.

hardybuck

Having been to Oktoberfest in Munich earlier this year, while this is obviously a very different type of event, it was definitely a seasonal festival for the city and the region that the general population got involved with.

One of the things that could be taken and introduced to Winterval is a proper fairground. Imagine if Funderland was tacked on to the side of Winterval, maybe even on the North Quays if they could get the access sorted. Bolton Street carpark or the Gasworks could be alternative options.

That would be a game changer.

dartboardio

hardybuck wrote: »

Having been to Oktoberfest in Munich earlier this year, while this is obviously a very different type of event, it was definitely a seasonal festival for the city and the region that the general population got involved with.

One of the things that could be taken and introduced to Winterval is a proper fairground. Imagine if Funderland was tacked on to the side of Winterval, maybe even on the North Quays if they could get the access sorted. Bolton Street carpark or the Gasworks could be alternative options.

That would be a game changer.

And all age things to do rather than everything for the kids.

dzilla

Any stalls doing Gluhwein?

comeraghs

Lovely positive article about Winterval in Today's Irish Independent.







https://www.independent.ie/life/travel/ireland/winterval-in-waterford-our-family-guide-to-irelands-christmas-capital-37633408.html




Snow may have come late to Lapland, but Ireland’s biggest Christmas festival means you don't have to leave the country to bask in merry cheer.
Winterval in Waterford is over two hours from Dublin. The city’s annual transformation into Ireland's Christmas capital gets bigger each year, and the 2019 edition is expected to attract more than 500,000 visitors over December.
We travelled with our 10-year-old for a late break in December and found that, for families especially, it's a city break with a difference before the big day.
Santa’s grotto in the Old Sorting Office on Custom House Quay is a welcome step above the usual offering of a long wait for five minutes with the man himself surrounded by battered crayons.
Here, kids and adults can take part in festive-themed carnival style games, X's and O's and Connect Four, or try to toss hoops onto a reindeer's antlers (much harder than it looks). The elves are on hand to play giant Jenga, and they're cheekily competitive - all a huge hit with the kids before - and after - stopping in to see Santa.
There is something extra magical about visiting Santa when he knows exactly what you’ve asked for and has easy answers to the many questions posed by wondering minds.
6 6 Pictured with Santa in Waterford City were brothers Isaac (9) and Evan (6) Sullivan. Winterval features over 60 free and ticketed events across Waterford city. Picture: Patrick Browne


How does he make it down the chimney? He slims down. How does he get it all done in one night (a gold pocket watch is produced to explain that he can slow down or pause time).
He was, unlike other places, the real deal we decided afterwards - not just a helper dispatched from the North Pole, but the man himself.
Grab a hot chocolate on the way out to keep you warm for wandering through the markets on John Roberts Square but leave room for the fresh donuts or mini cheesecakes to keep you going for a spot of Christmas shopping.
The festival is nicely spread out through Waterford's centre, which makes for a great way to see the city transformed with lights on every corner and amusements aplenty, but nothing is too far for little legs either.

In addition to the outdoor market, there is also a craft market in Garter’s Lane Arts Centre.
You would be hard pushed not to find yourself humming along to Christmas songs after a whirl on a traditional carousel on John Roberts Square. There is also the Helter Skelter on Constitution Square and the vintage ferris wheel on Arundel Square.
But the Waterford Eye steals the show for wow factor. Located on the Quays, the big wheel offers a bird’s-eye view of the city.
A trip on the Winterval Express Train or the double decker horse-drawn sleigh will help you plot out your course for the day, taking you past some of the highlights.
Winterval on Ice is a chance for you to skate off some of the sugar consumed. There is a smaller rink with penguin shaped aides for little ones finding their “ice legs” - sadly no adult version is available, but you’ll feel all the more accomplished when you eventually master the art of staying upright.
Waterford is dotted with lots of cafes and comfy pubs for daytime dining. No 9 Cafe on Barronstrand Street is a great and welcoming option beside the carousels and Express Train stop. Pop in for big helpings of tasty and hearty food - first-timers to Waterford who have never tasted the famous blaa would be wise to try one of their burgers.
6 6 The launch of Winterval 2018 in Waterford City. Picture: Patrick Browne


The cafe is also where Santa fuels up for the day when he pops in for breakfast on Saturday and Sundays and stops by your table for a chat.
Just down the street, Carter’s Chocolate Cafe has a dizzying array of hot chocolate, milkshakes and sweet treats - for the season that’s in opt for one with all the trimmings including a giant peppermint candy-cane, you won’t regret it.
When the sun goes down the city lights up with Winterval Illuminates at Cathedral Square, running a light show every 30 minutes after 5pm, and Spraoi’s Winter Wonderland at Wyse Park open for visitors from 5pm also.
Before you leave the city, make sure to stop off at the giant postbox at the Applemarket to send a letter to Santa.
How to do it


Winterval in Waterford

Winterval runs to December 23, though some events like Winterval on Ice and the Big Wheel will continue operating to January 6.
It includes a mix of ticketed and free events. Prices range from €6/5 for train rides and €5/4 for the Big Wheel, to €17 per child for Santa's Grotto (with two adults free) and €13/12 for ice-skating. See winterval.ie for more.
For a family-friendly accommodation option, Waterford Castle Golf Resort (waterfordcastleresort.com) has lodges from €129 per night.
The hotel facilities are open to all guests, including the Kings Channel clubhouse serving food and drinks, and the enormous Christmas tree in the lobby is worth visiting in itself. The hotel and lodges are set on an island accessed by ferry which runs every 15 minutes for most of the day - a massive novelty for the kids.
Our top tip? Be flexible.
Our first day was interrupted by Storm Deirdre which closed much of the festival down, but there are indoor events that can help you work around the weather including a cinema club at the Reg showing Home Alone at 2pm and 4pm, and in George’s Court Shopping Centre, the Polish Christmas folks run cookie and card making workshops.
Laura and family were guests of Winterval and Waterford Castle Hotel.

Johnboy1951

I guess I would write a glowing review if myself and family also "were guests of Winterval and Waterford Castle Hotel".

Hardly an unbiased article in the circumstances.

Christy Browne

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

I guess I would write a glowing review if myself and family also "were guests of Winterval and Waterford Castle Hotel".

Hardly an unbiased article in the circumstances.

As long as they’re upfront about it I don’t see the issue

azimuth17

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

I guess I would write a glowing review if myself and family also "were guests of Winterval and Waterford Castle Hotel".

Hardly an unbiased article in the circumstances.

Its called marketing (something Waterford obviously never does enough of ) and is a feature of every festival and major event in every town and city across the country. At least they were upfront about it.

dartboardio

dzilla wrote: »

Any stalls doing Gluhwein?

Lol good luck getting a tiny can of beer in any of the stalls never mind that.

dzilla

dartboardio wrote: »

Lol good luck getting a tiny can of beer in any of the stalls never mind that.

Pity. Understandable that Wintervil is very much for the kids etc but it is such a big part of the continental markets.

mooseknunkle

dzilla wrote: »

Pity. Understandable that Wintervil is very much for the kids etc but it is such a big part of the continental markets.

Its far from Gluhwein you were rared on boy!

comeraghs

azimuth17 wrote: »

Its called marketing (something Waterford obviously never does enough of ) and is a feature of every festival and major event in every town and city across the country. At least they were upfront about it.

Some folk won't be happy unless everyone else is miserable like them.

PTH2009

Only slight problem I have is the market near Christchurch gets quite crowded and congested but enjoyed the festival whenever I was down. The younglings enjoyed the Santa in the old sorting office

Really adds to the city and hoping it's get bigger and bigger each year

Johnboy1951

comeraghs wrote: »

Some folk won't be happy unless everyone else is miserable like them.

Maybe if you had presented your copy of the advertisement/'marketing blurb' as such, and not as

Lovely positive article about Winterval in Today's Irish Independent.

then a comment would not have been made.

It has nothing at all to do with being miserable or otherwise, but all to do with your post misrepresenting all that followed ...... until one found the last line and realised it was just more marketing blurb copied by you.

Azatadine

I'd say the emergence of other Christmas themed set ups around the country is killing Winterval in Waterford. The weather was shocking too and that didn't help.

JohnC.

Killing it? Didn't seem very dead any time I was around.

azimuth17

JohnC. wrote: »

Killing it? Didn't seem very dead any time I was around.

I actually thought it was very effective this year even with poor weather. Traffic volumes coming into town were very heavy especially at weekends. Our small kids loved it. There will always be competition.