City to glisten and sparkle
Cork is gearing up for Corkmas — and the city is set to sparkle once again!
The festive season will officially begin with a magical parade on Friday 14 November from 7-8pm.
The spectacular Christmas procession will make its way from North Main Street to Washington Street, St Patrick’s Street, Bridge Street, and MacCurtain Street, filling the city with light, colour, and festive cheer. The event is expected to draw around 40,000 people, bringing Cork’s streets to life with celebration.
The announcement was made at this week’s Cork City Council meeting.
“The event will mark the start of Christmas in the city and the official switching on of the lights,” said Valerie O'Sullivan, Chief Executive of Cork City Council. “A similar parade took place in Cork last year, but this time the route will be slightly longer. The council didn’t receive any public submissions ahead of the 16 October deadline. The parade will officially launch the festive season for residents, visitors, and businesses across Cork.”
The plan was shared with relevant Cork City Council areas, including Traffic, Roads Control, Environment, and the Cork Fire Brigade. It was also sent to prescribed bodies such as An Garda Síochána and the HSE, along with key stakeholders like Bus Éireann and St John Ambulance. All agencies were invited to take part in multi-stakeholder meetings to help plan the event.
Earlier this autumn, Cork’s youngest citizens were invited to spread some festive magic of their own. Cork City Council called on children aged 4 to 11 to “deck the bus shelters” for Christmas by designing their very own festive characters. Now in its second year, the project gives children across the city a chance to see their artwork displayed in bus shelters throughout Cork. Last year, 27 lucky artists had their drawings turned into colourful displays brightening up the streets.
Adding to the excitement, the iconic 32 metre panoramic wheel and carousel will return to Grand Parade, transforming the skyline and offering breathtaking views of the city below.
The Corkmas Christmas Market will also return to Emmet Place on 21 November, creating a festive village filled with wooden chalets, gifts, and seasonal treats. The area will host the Corkmas Santa Experience, where Santa himself will be in residence — ready for a chat, by appointment, of course, as he’s a very busy man this time of year!
Visitors can stroll through the Christmas Market, explore artisan crafts, and sample festive food while soaking up the sparkling lights and joyful atmosphere. After the opening weekend, the market will run each week from Thursday to Sunday, with an additional day on Monday 22 December.
For full details and updates on all Corkmas events, visit corkcity.ie/en/a-cork-christmas-celebration.
This article was produced with the support of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme funded by Coimisiún na Meán.