The Dragon of Shandon Samhain festival is back this year, following a break due to Covid in 2020.
The event, which is organised by the Cork Community Art Link, has been taking place in Cork each year since 2006. Since then, every year on October 31st, thousands of locals take to the streets of Shandon to walk with the famous Dragon as it travels between worlds in a celebration of the living and dead, alongside an assortment of underworld creatures, crafted by artists from the CCAL.
The parade won’t be hosted as normal this year, but the team of motley crew skeletons at the CCAL will be putting together an array of out-of-this-world installations, as well as a spooky treasure trail along the usual Shandon parade route.
Visitors will be able to follow an interactive treasure map (available online or in person) to take them along the route to check out the incredible art installations on Shandon and North Main Street. If you’re one the first ten participants cleaver enough to follow the clues hidden amongst the installations and complete the trail, you’ll receive a special prize!
There will also be a host of special performances along the way from the UCC Department of Theatre, Joan Denise Moriarty School of Dance, and Cork City Samba, along with the Samhain Stories sound piece made from submissions shared by the public, and a special SpookScreen shown in the Gate Cinema.
The Dragon of Shandon 2021 festival trail will be running from 6pm – 9pm on October 31st along various routes between Shandon and North Main Street.