Dublin Simon To Host Community Festival On The Longest Day in Grangegorman - Thursday, 20 June

Published: 11 Jun, 2024

Dublin Simon Community is set to host a vibrant community festival on the longest day of the year, in a bid to raise essential funds to combat homelessness in Dublin. This event, part of Dublin Simon's annual Longest Day campaign, will be held at TU Dublin's Grangegorman campus from 2-9 pm on Thursday, June 20th. The festival invites families and individuals of all ages to participate in wellness and arts activities, all while supporting this vital charity.

On the main stage, festival-goers can look forward to live music performances by Lucan Gospel Choir, DJ Sam Kay and Ciaran Moran, stand-up comedy by Simon Hennessy, and captivating acts by poet Mikey Cullen and pipe player Alex Hughes.

A kids' area will provide young families with fun activities, playtime, and face painting. Others can explore pop-up shops and fashion thrift stalls and indulge in delicious food from eateries like Paddy Pizza Pies and Mexican in Dublin.

In the designated wellness area, esteemed instructors such as Nicky Lewis, Emily Cramp and Silvio will offer bespoke yoga and a healing sound bath session with Sonas Sond. These sessions will be ticketed, and places are expected to fill quickly, so attendees are encouraged to reserve their spots in advance via Eventbrite.

TU Dublin's campus will also host a series of workshops where guests can learn new skills and crafts, including a sustainable bunting-making workshop.

Dublin Simon is also encouraging surrounding communities to participate by hosting their events such as garden/street parties, picnics, and wellness classes on the longest day. More information on the kinds of events and how to organise them can be found on the charity's website.

Dublin Simon's website will feature a live map of coinciding fundraising events for the first time, enabling participants and community members to see the collective fundraising efforts.

Louise Phipps, Events and Engagement Manager at Dublin Simon Community, says, "We’re delighted to be collaborating with TU Dublin to create this family-friendly festival for the local Dublin community. We encourage everyone to come along and use the extra hours of sunlight to engage with their community, all while helping to raise valuable funds and crucial awareness to combat homelessness."

Dublin Simon's Longest Day campaign raises essential funds for the 1,445 families, 4,527 single adults, and 3,188 children living homeless in Dublin. While for many, the longer, brighter evenings provide more opportunities to enjoy the day, for those living on the streets, it means more time worrying about where to sleep at night. Funds from the Longest Day Festival will support Dublin Simon's essential services for the homeless community, including outreach support, emergency accommodation, and recovery services.

To learn more and participate in Dublin Simon Community's Longest Day Fundraising initiative, visit www.dubsimon.ie/longestday. All funds raised will go directly towards supporting people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Dublin and the surrounding counties.

On the longest day of the year, spend your extra hours of sunlight at Dublin Simon's Longest Day Festival, helping those in need alongside your local community.