Baboro, the children's festival, opens in Galway tonight, while Sonas, a similar event, kicks off in Louisburgh, Co Mayo. Castlebar, meanwhile, is looking forward to a "ruaile buaile" from this day week at the Linenhall Arts Centre.
RoolaBoola 2001 is the Linenhall's fifth annual event for three- to 15-year-olds. Some of the finest children's theatre companies - many performing also in Galway and Louisburgh - have been booked for the programme.
Over 20 different workshops have been planned and well-known authors like Michael Mullen, Una Leavy and Arthur Flynn will read from and talk about their work.
The festival's film project has its own "comic celluloid creation", Sherlock Homeless and the Missing Watson, and there will be a night parade presented by ┴rd an Gheasa on Friday 26th at 7 p.m. The festival office number is (094)28886.
The Macnas Baboro parade - the first for the children's event - will start from the Spanish Arch at 1.30 p.m. next Saturday in Galway city. Long after the festival is over, an exhibition titled "Flight" will continue in the Galway Arts Centre at 47 Dominick Street. Seven artists commissioned by the Ark in Dublin responded to the brief, and the result takes children on what is described as a "fascinating and magical journey" from man's first attempt at flying to the fluffy trails of jumbo jets in the sky.
The Baffle Festival, meanwhile, will be exercising minds in Loughrea, Co Galway, during the bank holiday weekend. Writer Joe O'Connor and actress and author Pauline McLynn are among those booked. The festival includes a poetry workshop given by Paddy Bushe, and the core event is a poetry competition. This year, the theme is "On the Road", inspired by the life and times of local poet Antoine ╙ Raftaire.
In conjunction with Baboro and Loughrea Youth Development the Baffle organisers are hosting a children's poetry workshop tomorrow in Loughrea library.