Stokerland
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Saturday 26 October 11:00am–4:30pm
Sunday 27 October 11:00am–4:30pm
Monday 28 October 11:00am–4:30pm - St. Patrick’s Park
- Free, no tickets required
family-friendly
free
participate
Roll up, roll up and enter Stokerland, a free, pop-up Victorian fun park for families and the eternally young! Now an annual festival highlight for Dubliners of all ages, it’s the perfect family-fun-day out this October bank holiday weekend in Dublin.
With the stunning cathedral as a gothic backdrop, this ghoulish gathering features street theatre, a performance tent, free face-painting, a food market, a free Victorian style carousel, macabre thrills and ghoulish games for everyone to enjoy.
Fancy dress is encouraged!
Admission to Stokerland is free and for the first time there is no fee for the carousel this year.
A number of food traders will join us at Stokerland but BYOPicnics are also encouraged!
Printing Workshops with The National Print Museum.
Roll up your sleeves and get inky with the National Print Museum at Stokerland! Stop by the workshop tent to experience the craft of letterpress by having a go at it yourself – ink up a form, pull the print, and voila! You’ll have a gothic, vampire-inspired design to take home.
Irish/English storytelling and workshop with Sadhbh Devlin.
Seanteach mór ar imeall an bhaile…agus é beagán aisteach. Ach ní chuirfeadh cúpla taibhse isteach mórán ar an gcailín cliste seo! Léifidh an t-údar Sadhbh Devlin an scéal iontach seo le Kazuno Kohara go dátheangach (Gaeilge/Béarla) agus beidh deis ag na rannpháirtithe a theach taibhsiúil féin a chruthú!
In a big old house at the edge of town there’s a spooky surprise in store… but who’s afraid of a few ghosts? Not this little girl! Author Sadhbh Devlin will read bilingually (Irish/English) from this wonderful book by Kazuno Kohara. Participants will also have a chance to create their very own haunted house!
Headline Performance by Curious State.
No one is dying anymore! The Morbid family is struggling to make ends meet and they hope to drum up trade by travelling from town to town with their Victorian ‘pop-up funeral shop’. Morbid & Sons is an interactive, macabre experience about death and the afterlife – a musical treat for all the family.
In the foggy streets of Victorian Dublin, Franklin Pennywhistle was no ordinary vampire. A centuries-old creature of the night, he grew tired of the typical vampire lifestyle. Instead, Franklin found his passion in the most unexpected of places – comedy juggling. Despite his vampiric nature, Franklin never harmed a soul – at least not during a performance!
Rose and Penelope, of the famous Hinge and Hyde Circus, shuffled off this mortal coil 100 years ago. At Hallowe’en, when the veil is at its thinnest, they slip through, travelling by tri-cycle on a quest to gather new blood to drag back to the underworld for their spooky Circus of the Undead.
We have programmed a relaxed session of Stokerland which is open to all and will take place from 11am – 1.30pm on Monday 28 October.
At the relaxed session, you can expect a tailored experience designed to welcome people who will benefit from a more relaxed environment, including people who identify as neurodiverse, people on the autistic spectrum, sensory and communication disorders, people with ADHD, ADD, tourettes, or with learning disabilities.
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Dracula Fantasy Map Making
Scary Stories with Seosamh Ó Maolalaí
Halloween Dance Bash with Danspire
The Morbid Trio
Cikada
Gothic Ink
Zozimus – the street storyteller & balladeer
Taibhsí sa Teach/The Haunted House
Songfest
The Supertones Children’s Choir
The Tiny Quartet
Morbid & Sons by Curious State
Fake Blood Masterclass
Franklin Pennywhistle
Let’s Explore
Sensory Spooktacular A Relaxed Interactive Workshop
The Riddle of the Disappearing Dickens
St. James’s Brass & Reed Band
Franklin Pennywhistle Gentleman Vampire
Vampire Doodle
Rose and Penelope (Deceased)
Stokerland is programmed by Grasshopper Events.
Joining the Stokerland line up in St. Patrick’s Park, is the portfolio of Sunday vendors who trade there each Sunday. A broad collection of handmade crafts, retro must-haves, collectibles, books, jewellery, and eclectic vintage. Check out spillaneworldmarkets.com
Other traders include:
Crankee Yankee
Crepes in the City
Little Dumpling
Paddy’s Pizza Pies
Sweet Churro
The Crazy Vegetable
| Duration | Open until 4.30pm daily |
|---|---|
| Gates Open | 11am |
| Age Suitability | Families and Under 12s. (Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult). |
| Warnings | This is an outdoor event. Please dress appropriately. |
| Accessibility | A relaxed session of Stokerland which is open to all will take place from 11am - 1.30pm on Monday 28 October. Stokerland is wheelchair accessible. A wheelchair accessible portaloo is available at Stokerland. More info |
| Relaxed Session | Download Social Story |
St. Patrick’s Park, Bull Alley Street, Dublin, Ireland
Luas
The closest Luas stop is on St. Stephen’s Green on the Green Line.
Bus
The closest Dublin Bus route stops are:
Stop 2383, Patrick Street, Northbound – Bus numbers 27, 49, 54A, 56A, 74, 77A, 150, 151
Stop 2385, Patrick Street, Southbound – Bus numbers 49, 54A, 79
Accessibility Information
Relaxed Performance
On Monday 28 October from 11am until 1.30pm, relaxed performances for neurodivergent people will be scheduled.
What will be different at the relaxed session of Stokerland?
All music at the performance areas and other trading areas will be played at a quieter, more comfortable level.
There will be no loud noises.
There will be no flashing lights.
Performances will be gentler in nature.
There will be a sensory unit area away from crowds and sounds available for those who require it: our staff will be there to assist you.
All workshops will be gently paced, giving everybody enough time to learn, play and have fun at their own speed.
All performers and staff will ensure a relaxed and sensory-friendly experience for all.
If guests need a break at any point, there will be a designated sensory unit available. Our staff in hi-vis vests will be there to assist. To enter, ask someone in a hi-vis to direct and bring you to the unit. There may be a short queue to enter as the unit is suitable for one family at a time. One guardian must be in the sensory room and one sibling or a friend is also allowed.
Ticketing
This is a free and unticketed event running over the course of three days. The relaxed session of Stokerland on Monday 28 October is free and does not require booking.
Arrival
The pathways immediately around St. Patrick’s Park are smooth, but the park is located at the bottom of a hill from Christchurch.
The closest Luas stop is on St. Stephen’s Green (850m walk) on the Green Line.
The closest Dublin Bus route stops are:
Stop 2383, Patrick Street, Northbound – Bus numbers 27, 49, 54A, 56A, 74, 77A, 150, 151
Stop 2385, Patrick Street, Southbound – Bus numbers 49, 54A, 79
The nearest accessible parking is available in Q-Park Christchurch car park. Accessible parking bays are available on Golden Lane, close to the Radisson Blu hotel.
Drop off and pick up at St. Patrick’s Park is available on Bull Alley Street and Cathedral Lane.
Entry
Step-free access is available from Patrick Street. Entry points are also available at Bull Alley Street, via approximately seven stone steps with no railing, and the junction of Bride Street and Bull Alley Street, via approximately 20 stone steps with a railing. There is a ramped entrance via Bride Street alongside approximately 13 stone steps with a railing.
Space
Located in the heart of Dublin 8, St. Patrick’s Park is a tourist location and an open green space within the city centre. Most of the park is on one level, but there are two steps that lead down to the fountain at the centre of the park.
Accessible Bathroom / WC
An accessible toilet is available at The Tram Cafe. It is opened using a passcode that is provided at the cafe. Portaloos will also be provided onsite. A large accessible portaloo will be located there.
Food & Drink
Food and soft drinks will be available from The Tram Café and a number of food traders selling a selection of food. Information on the food traders for Stokerland will be available from our website nearer to the event. BYOPicnics are encouraged.
Performance Space
There are two tents with timetabled performances and workshops. These tents are canopied. Market stalls line a number of the pathways. For certain shows, performers will roam through the crowds. If you want to move around and/or make noise during your time in the park and the performances that is fine.
Please note that this is an outdoor event, and while some areas are sheltered, be prepared for all weather types.
Seating
There are park benches located throughout the venue. They have arm rests at either end. Within the performance tents there will be moveable chairs available, as well as the option for children to sit on the ground.
Sound
There will be a mix of sounds at Stokerland, including music and some performers using microphones. A relaxed performance for neurodivergent people will take place on Monday 28 October from 11am until 1.30pm. All music at the performance areas and other trading areas will be played at a quieter, more comfortable level.
Lighting
This is a daytime event so street lighting will be used when it starts to get dark. No strobe lighting will be used at all.
Quieter Room
As this is a public space, there will be no designated quiet room but a relaxed performance for neurodivergent people will take place on Monday 28 October from 11am until 1.30pm.
There will be a mobile sensory unit away from crowds and sounds available for those who require it. Our staff in hi-vis vests will be there to assist.