Looking for sunshine-y activities to plan in the coming weeks?

East Cork’s folksy May Sunday Festival is starting the party early this year, inviting families to get seriously crafty and create some jaw-dropping Bealtaine banners.

Think vibrant colours, epic designs, and good vibes galore.

“Holidays are just more fun-filled with creativity, colour and community.” said Jessica Bonenfant, Creative Director at Greywood Arts in Killeagh.

“With design, dyeing and sewing workshops over the Easter holidays, families and friends can have fun together while embracing nature and our Celtic heritage. The fruits of the workshops will provide an incredibly vibrant installation in Glenbower Woods, Bealtaine Banners, which will be part of the May Sunday Festival line up over the bank holiday weekend in East Cork”.

So, what’s on the menu? Get ready to unleash your inner artist with:

• Design Workshops (April 17th): Learn the secrets of pattern and repetition with Greywood Arts and Chapter Design, and create mini flags and massive banners that’ll turn Glenbower Woods into a technicolour dream. Free tickets here.
• Sewing Up Day (April 23rd): Put those design skills to good use and stitch your masterpieces together.
• Experimental Eco Dyeing and Printing Workshops (April 23rd & 26th): Get your hands dirty with natural pigments from plants and create stunning prints on cotton, linen, silk, and wool.

The May Sunday Festival itself (May 2nd-5th) is shaping up to be a four-day extravaganza. Expect a Dawn Chorus Bird Song Walk, Seedling Workshops, Craic’d Ceilí and live music, performance art by Olivia Hassett in Glenbower Woods, Circus Performance by Will Flanagan and a Nature Writing Workshop with E.R. Murray of Arabella Pepper novels.

Basically, it’s gonna be a wild, wonderful celebration of nature, creativity, and good ol’ Cork community spirit.

Main image: Cathal Noonan