Culture Night 2019 as lively as ever with scores of free events around the county

Keep Friday September 20 free in your diary and join in the annual celebration of Culture Night

Culture Night is taking place throughout the country celebrating culture, creativity and the arts. In Westmeath, it is an opportunity to explore the fantastic cultural venues available to us and also highlight vibrant artistic community in existence in our midst.

Events will take place around the county including Mullingar, Moate, Ballynacargy, Castlepollard, Collinstown, Delvin, Fore, and Rochfortbridge Athlone.

Mullingar

Take in some our cultural heritage by visiting Belvedere House and Gardens. Belvedere is offering a free guided tour of Park & Follies from 4pm & a free guided tour of Belvedere House from 6pm. Ruth Illingworth is hosting Tour of Public Artwork meeting at Market Square. You can get creative at Crane Bird Art Studio, Mary Street with free family workshop from 6:15pm. You can view the Le Verna Art exhibition in the Atrium, County Buildings and enjoy Dionysus School of Dance performance at 4pm. Spirit will hold a Dance Workshop in Mullingar Arts Centre from 5pm and Energy Plus School of Dance will give a high energy performance in Dominick Place at 6:30pm. Music Jammers will perform in the Mullingar Library at 6pm and there will be a Seisiún in Áras an Mhuilinn from 8:30pm.

Athlone

Pop into Luan Gallery to see Conor Walton as he conducts a portrait drawing marathon on site or head into Athlone Castle for ‘Dig it with David’ at a children’s archaeological dig. The Artists in Abbey Road Studio will throw their doors open to the public to see their works and upstairs in Abbey Road you can view Athlone Photography Club exhibition. Shambles Art Studio Artists also invite you to their Studios in Excise Street, Athlone. Athlone Gramophone Society will play a selection of classics in Parnell Room, Prince of Wales Hotel. Or pop over to Athlone Civic Centre Rosemarie Langtry will host her art exhibition Serendipity and there will be a performance from Athlone Youth Orchestra from 6pm. Kara Richards reads from her book accompanied by songs and classical guitar from The Klass in Athlone Library from 6pm. And then join in a walking tour of John Broderick’s Athlone, through poetry and prose with Martin Dyar and Gearoid O’Brien.

Moate

In Tuar Ard there will be Totem poles on display, the works of local schools with help of Artist Dominique Foley and in the morning Reminiscence Theatre will stage a play from 11:30am. Moate Library has a real treat in store this Culture Night with local Portrait Artist, Colm Noonan, exhibiting some of his amazing pieces. The exhibition will be accompanied by the multi-talented, multi instrumentalists Andy Yau & Niall Mannion and Moate Museum has late opening.

Ballynacargy

Ballynacargy CCÉ who will celebrate Culture Night with an evening of Music, Song, Dance and Stories in Teach Ceol from 8pm.

Rochfortbridge

Emerald Lakes Academy of Dance will host a night of traditional music, storytelling, song and dance in St Joseph’s Parish Hall, Rochfortbridge from 7:30pm.

Collinstown

Lesley Gleeson invites adults and children alike to bring their favourite book, and either read a passage, or for our younger speakers just tell us what they like about the book, plot, favourite characters etc from 6pm.

Castlepollard

James Joyce reading group invites people to come along to listen and/or read in Tearoom, Tullynally Castle from 7:30pm.

Fore

Write here, Write now Writers group are holding an open mic evening in Seven Wonders Pub, Fore and evening of poetry, storytelling and traditional music from 8pm.

Delvin

An evening of relaxation through sound in Butterfly Cottage from 7:30pm

All EVENTS ARE FREE SO COME ALONG AND ENJOY.

For more information on Culture Night, Visit www.culturenight.ie to confirm times and check the growing list of events taking place on Friday 20 September.