TAKE a look at the “magical” Christmas market in Ireland with wooden huts, live entertainment and outdoor movies.
Every winter, the medieval city of Kilkenny hosts Yulefest – and it’s only an hour and 30 minutes from Dublin.
The Yulefest Christmas festival opens on November 30 and will run until the end of December.
The festival has been branded the “most magical” and “best ever event” in Ireland by visitors.
Visitors can expect festive treats, creative crafts, live music, family entertainment and a variety of special events each weekend.
The medieval city will be decked out with Christmas lights and is sure to have something for everyone.
READ MORE ON CHRISTMAS MARKETS
Kilkenny is well known for its local crafts, food and drinks, covering all of your Christmas needs at one location.
People can find local artisans nestled in beautiful wooden huts selling local crafts, tasty food and delicious treats, including must-have mulled wine.
And the Yulefest Bandstand is back better than ever, bringing top names and local talent to festival audiences for free.
To add extra festivity to the holidays, a parade will be marching through the city, with live local musicians entertaining you as you shop at the markets.
One of the main attractions is the Yulefest art and craft family workshops, a perfect activity for families to design a personalised Christmas gift and learn some new skills.
They need to be pre-booked in advance to attend the workshops, which will open on Wednesday, November 6 on the Yulefest website.
Santa truck
The Santa Truck will be paying a visit to Yulefest on Sunday, December 8, where Santa and Mrs Claus will arrive to Kilkenny in style.
The lit-up Santa truck will drive past the Christmas markets before stopping at the parade where children can come aboard and see Santa’s Grotto.
On the night, Santa’s helpers will be taking donations for the LauraLynn Hospice.
The festival is also hosting a movie night on the big screen, showing fans their favourite Christmas movie, ‘How The Grinch Stole Christmas’, for one night only.
Bring your chairs, cushions, blankets and treats and enjoy a magical night of cinema in the city on Thursday, December 12.
Some well-known music stars will be performing at The Hub in Kilkenny as part of the Yulefest in December, with tickets on sale for €30.
Jenny Green, Hermitage Green and Gavin James are some of the many stars expected to be performing on stage for the festival.
For more information about Yulefest and its events, visit Yulefestkilkenny.ie.