While for many, the longer, brighter evenings provide more opportunities to enjoy the day, for those living on the streets, it means more time spent worrying about where to sleep at night. This month, to coincide with the longest day of the year, Dublin Simon is inviting those living in the city to spend the extra hours of sunlight at their Longest Day Festival, helping to raise valuable funds to combat homelessness.
The vibrant community festival, which forms part of Dublin Simon’s annual Longest Day campaign, takes place at TU Dublin‘s Grangegorman campus from 2-9 pm on Thursday, June 20th.
Funds from the Longest Day Festival will support Dublin Simon’s essential services for the homeless community, including outreach support, emergency accommodation, and recovery services.
Festival organisers invite families and individuals of all ages to participate in wellness and arts activities, at the day long festival.
A dedicated kids’ area will feature fun activities, playtime, and face painting, while elsewhere visitors are invited to explore pop-up shops and fashion thrift stalls, as well as indulge in delicious food from eateries like Paddy’s Pizza Pies.
Festival-goers can also look forward to live music performances on the main stage by Lucan Gospel Choir, DJ Sam Kay and Ciaran Moran, with stand-up comedy by Simon Hennessy, and captivating acts by poet Mikey Cullen and pipe player Alex Hughes.
Meanwhile, a specially designated wellness area, sees ticketed sessions featuring instructors such as Goran Jandric, Nicky Lewis, Emily Cramp and Silvio will offer bespoke yoga, while there’s also an opportunity to enjoy a healing sound bath session with Sonas Sond.
These sessions are ticketed, and with places expected to fill up quickly, those interested in attending are encouraged to reserve their spots in advance via Eventbrite.
In addition, TU Dublin’s campus will also host a series of workshops where guests can learn new skills and crafts, including the likes of a sustainable bunting-making workshop.
The charity is also encouraging surrounding communities to participate by hosting their own events such as garden/street parties, picnics, and wellness classes on the longest day. More information on the range of events and how to organise them can be found here.
Dublin Simon’s website will feature a live map of coinciding fundraising events for the first time, enabling participants and community members to see the outcome of these collective fundraising efforts.
To learn more and participate in Dublin Simon Community’s Longest Day Fundraising initiative, visit dubsimon.ie/longestday. All funds raised will go directly towards supporting people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Dublin and the surrounding counties.
