Innovative ideas planned for 57th Birr Vintage Week & Arts Festival

A NUMBER of innovative ideas are being planned for the 57th Birr Vintage Week & Arts Festival, which will be held from Friday August 1st to Saturday August 9th.
Chairperson Caroline Conway told the Festival's AGM last week that one of these ideas will be called the “Spirit of Vintage Award” which will be a campaign that will celebrate the town's creativity and warm welcome during the festival, “while tapping into the sense of nostalgia that makes the week so special.”
As part of this campaign, shops, cafés, pubs, restaurants, and local businesses will be encouraged to get involved by “embracing the vintage vibe through decorations, fun events, and engaging with customers in creative ways.”
Caroline said the Spirit of Vintage Award is building on the Shop Window Competition. “As such, it will bring back some old favourites, as well as adding a few fresh ideas too. If funding comes through, we'll be offering Spirit of Vintage Packs to hospitality businesses around town as part of the sponsorship package. These packs will include a mix of nostalgic goodies to help you join in the fun and give your space that special festival charm, such as bunting and vintage style aprons.”
Another innovative idea is the “Secret Birr Tours”. The festival is bundling its existing walking tours into one exciting new offering, Secret Birr Tours, which will add a number of fresh experiences along the way. “This expanded series,” commented the Chairperson, “will showcase the hidden stories, creativity, and beauty of our town, with something for everyone to enjoy.”
As well as the much-loved tours like the Garden Trail and History Walk, the festival is introducing new trails this year, including:
A Poetry Trail, A Town Reads Mitchell
An Art Walk, uncovering hidden gems like mosaics, quirky signage, and unexpected pieces of Hidden art
A Sensory Treasure Hunt – for those families that would like a quieter experience than the traditional Treasure Hunt (which is still happening!)
“It's all about discovering Birr in new and surprising ways,” remarked the Chair, “providing immersive and enjoyable experiences for locals and visitors alike.”
Creative Ireland is funding an exciting project this year called Alphabet Soup, which will be a playful and imaginative look at the typography and shop signs of Birr. Alphabet Soup will explore the town's unique lettering styles and reinvent them in fresh, creative ways. Leading the project is Naomi McArdle, with a special bit of help from her father – Birr's own sign writer – alongside artist Andrea Moore. Together they'll be working with both primary school children and adults to dive into the art of letters, signs, and local visual history. “Expect creativity, colour and a celebration of Birr's visual character like never before!” said the Chair.
People should also look out for Fanfare Piston around the town during the week, the brilliant Mullingar Town Band in the Parade and some great events at the Theatre.
Sadly Birr Castle will not be running the Big Beautiful Vintage Picnic this year after having to cancel for weather last year.
Tidy Towns are moving their event Dancing at the Cottages to the upgraded Market Square, which will be a lovely way to use this new public space.
Caroline pointed out that she and the committee remain very enthusiastic about Vintage Week. They are very conscious of the fact that they are continuing a long tradition. They promise that the 2025 iteration will be a jam-packed week celebrating the town's culture, featuring a town-wide programme of visual arts, theatre, music, street theatre, workshops, exhibitions, and a whole host of community events.
Vintage Week is a team effort, involving the committee, community organisers, volunteers, participants and thousands of spectators. “Our special thanks in particular,” commented the Chairperson, “go to the businesses and people of Birr, whose generous sponsorship and support make this festival possible. As always we ask the public to support those who support the festival. We acknowledge and thank our public funders, The Arts Council, Offaly County Council, Birr Municipal District, Creative Ireland and Offaly Local Development Company. We acknowledge and thank our sponsors, Birr Publicans, Grant Engineering, Birr Lions Club, Hollywood's Garage, the European Tech Hub, Birr Castle Demesne, EJ, Athenry Credit Union and all the Gold, Silver and Bronze sponsors. A special thanks to all the kind sponsors including Hassett's, Central Plant and Tool Hire. We would like to thank our committee and Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is Janine Wilson, Cyril Stanley, Emma Nee Haslam, and Cailin Keaveny. A special thanks to Rebecca Kelly who has done such a fabulous job on PR over the past three years and is developing her career elsewhere. We welcome Emma Hanley in taking over this role. We also welcome Amelia Lown who has taken on the Market this year. We are still looking for someone to manage the other big events - the Parade and the Fireworks Night.
“2024 saw a change in the Parade route, and while there are still some teething difficulties to iron out, this change has saved the festival thousands of Euro by avoiding closing the N52. Highlights of the 2024 festival included the Vintage Sunday Parade, with over 6,000 spectators, the many Children's events, a fabulous fire show and aerial performance at Birr Castle, a very full visual arts including exhibitions along Main Street and the prestigious Irish Architecture exhibition 'The Reason for Towns' at John's Hall. Birr Rugby Club had a very successful family fun day, bringing back the duck race.”
Caroline pointed out that the sponsorship drive is now open and she appealed to everyone to be as generous as they always have been.