The Macnas parade, a Fancy Dress Party Trail throughout the Latin Quarter, a children’s disco, and some ‘Trick or Treat’ fun - it can only be the return of the ABooo festival.
Galway city’s celebration of Halloween, The Latin Quarter ABooo festival, takes place on Saturday October 25, Sunday 26, Friday 31, and Saturday November 1.
Sunday 26 will see businesses in the Latin Quarter present a free family fun day in aid of the Galway Autism Partnership. There will be a children’s ‘Trick or Treat’ treasure hunt at 2pm, where children can follow clues to find the freakish treasure and unearth body parts leading to prizes and treats. This will be followed by the One Helluva ‘Fancy Dress Kiddies Disco’ from 3pm to 5pm in The House Hotel.
“Opportunities to raise funds to sustain our essential services in Galway are of paramount importance,” said GAP chair Miriam Jennings. “We look forward to working with the Latin Quarter again this year.”
The Macnas parade
On Sunday 26, Macnas will bring its intoxicating lawlessness onto the city streets for it’s biggest production of the year - its Halloween parade, Symphony for the Restless.
Symphony for the Restless will celebrate Samhain, the Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the coming winter solstice. It begins at 4.45pm in the Fisheries Field, before passing through the city streets, and finishing at the Claddagh Church.
Macnas is inviting the public not only to attend the parade, but also to dress up in costume and enjoy the spectacle of priests and madmen “summoning the slumbering descent of countless agitations as they close the night upon the city like a trap door” as well as a festive air of “disobedience, smoke, fire, music, monsters, giants, and boundless energy”.
The parade is supported by the Galway City Council, The Arts Council, the Latin Quarter, Fáilte Ireland, and the Wild Atlantic Way.
Other Abooo events
Abooo will host a Fancy Dress Party Trail on Friday 31 from 8pm. Venues in the Latin Quarter will host a series of fancy dress parties with prizes for the most ghoulishly dressed.
The Mini Monster Dash takes place on Saturday November 1 at 6pm. This is a 500 metes fun run around the city streets for those aged up to 12. Fancy dress is encouraged and there will be prizes for scariest and most usual costumes.
It will be the turn of the adults at 6.30pm, with the Monster Dash in aid of On The Road Again. The event is a two lap, 5k run on the city streets, and again, fancy dress is encouraged. Register to run on www.runireland.com or www.otra.ie
On The Road Again is a personal development programme to advance the self sufficiency of homeless people and those suffering from mental health issues by enrolling them in a structured, tailored programme based on the sport of running.
Galway Autism Partnership
Since 2013 GAP has worked to provide a meaningful service for people living with autism in Galway city and county and their families. Service provision has now doubled on Saturdays and a total of 24 children now attend each Saturday, along with nine other city and county based clubs during the week servicing more than 80 children in total.
GAP has undertaken a renovation of its base at Laurel Park, Newcastle, and the cost of the work will be c€80,000. For more information on the charity call 083 - 1222302 or [email protected].
