The Tall Ships Festival: Coming to Dublin in August

It's almost time for the Dublin Tall Ships Festival. Have you made your plans to attend? It's an event you won't want to miss! Theinternational festival begins on Thursday, August 23rd, and will host 60 ships with their beginning point in St Malo, France. These ships will stop at three other ports before making Dublin their final destination.

What are the Tall Ships?

There are actually four different types of ships that will be sailing into Dublin. Class A, Class B, Class C and Class D. The differencesbetween these classes are the ships sizes and how they are rigged, either traditional or modern. Fantastic and awe-inspiring ships will be arriving from the UK, Poland, Germany, Denmark, Russia, Mexico, France, Netherlands, Latvia, Estonia, Ireland, Norway, Belgium, Lithuania and Ecuador.

It's an exciting time to be in Dublin as the festival will last a full four days. There will be live entertainment each day, with the ships being open to the public for exploration before they set sail on August 26. The streets of Dublin will be lined with markets and vendors offering their specialties such as special foods, home-made items, souvenirs, and drinks. This is truly a family event as there will be water sport activities and programs for family fun. Children will love the puppet shows, storytelling and street theatre. There is a free family programme in Grand Canal Square where nautical themed workshops and installations will be held.

On Friday, August 24, there will be a crew parade, followed by the ceremony to award the prize to the winners. Saturday offers another fun-filled day with Sunday being the day to bid the ships farewell and watch the parade of sail as they leave Dublin.

The festival will celebrate personal stories and memories of Dublin's seafaring community with literary trails and visual arts. Then in the evening, gather around for a series of illuminated performances and events. The highlight will be at George's Dock with some of the best live music you've ever heard.

Check out the Dublin Tall Ships Festival website for further information about the event. If you haven't made your reservation yet, there is still avaiability at Leonardo Hotels Dublin for the festival.