Welcome to the Ballymaloe May Fair! Our newest festival is an ode to all things good food, gardening, green-living, home, health, fashion and summer fun.
Lá Bealtaine is one of Ireland’s most important and ancient festivals and celebrates the beginning of summer.
Traditionally a festival for optimism and renewal, Lá Bealtaine was a time filled with feasts and flowers. The Ballymaloe May Fair is a celebration of this ancient heritage… but with a few modern twists!
Join us for Cooking Demonstrations, Walks and Talks, Walled Garden Fitness Classes, Workshops for all ages, Writers Corner, Great Shopping and so much more. Drop your kids off for an hour of fun at our Children’s Activity Area.
Dogs on leads are very welcome.
Free entry for Children under 12.
What can you expect at the Ballymaloe May Fair?
The May Fair is our most colourful festival yet! It is an interactive event centred on sharing a wealth of talent and knowledge from all around the country. The festival will be one of innovation and collaboration, celebrating a fusion of exciting lifestyle experiences. Ireland’s finest gardeners, food experts, craft- makers and artists will come together to showcase their produce, skills and share their expertise.
Cooking Demonstrations will run throughout the weekend along with a variety of adult and children craft workshops. This festival is a space where you can roll up your sleeves, explore art in action, learn the secrets of herbs and delve into the world of craft, gardening, cooking and eco- friendly living.
Ireland’s most reputable chefs will be at the May Fair demonstrating their new and tastiest recipes over the weekend. Come for some tips, tricks, laughs, and a few tasters as well as a whole lot of trusty recipe ideas. If you’ve always wanted to wow your friends at summer parties and want to try something different, we have just the thing to help you with that too! We will be hosting night time cocktail demonstrations with the wonderful and award winning Andy Ferreira from Cask in Cork.
Activities
Have a pint in the sun while listening to some great music, soak in the atmosphere and get some inspiration. Whatever it is, there’s something for everyone at the Ballymaloe May Fair!
We have Walled Garden Fitness Classes, Cooking Demonstrations, Craft Workshops, Ballymaloe Afternoon Tea, Garden Walks with Susan Turner, Farm Sustainability Tours, Pre-launch Sculpture Exhibition Walk and Talks, Ballymaloe History Tours, Ballymaloe Grounds Biodiversity Tours with Tobias, Craft Displays, Drop in Children’s Activity Area, Irish Authors reading space in the Garden, Irish Crafts, Irish Fashion, Vintage Clothing & Furniture, Shopping, and even a Dog Show in aid of Cork D.A.W.G bring your dog along for a fun day out together.
€3.00 fee for walks, talks and fitness classes will be donated to the Red Cross
Come and enjoy our newest festival that celebrates innovation in food, craft, garden inspiration, and fashion, and brings us back to our roots.
What better way to spend the day than with friends and family having fun and learning something new!