What's on in Bray and Greystones this week

Halloween at Festina Lente

Festina Lente, Bray, is hosting a range of seasonal workshops, including Halloween pumpkin carving sessions for children aged four to 11 and Samhain wreath-making workshops for adults, families and groups. Both events run on multiple dates from late October, with pumpkin carving tickets priced at €27.37 per child and wreath-making workshops costing €48.27. Booking is available through Eventbrite.

Meanwhile, master herbalist Sarah Hathaway will lead a ‘Boosting Immunity with Herbs’ workshop at Festina Lente on Saturday, November 7, from 10.30am to 12.30pm. The session will explore herbal remedies, natural approaches to wellbeing and iridology, with tickets priced at €65 also through Eventbrite.

Halloween book reading for children

At Greystones Library, local children’s author Alana Davis will be reading her new self-published book, Mary’s Not Scary, at 11am on Halloween morning (Saturday, October 31). Aimed at children from 3-8s, doors open at 11am, and the reading will last 45 minutes. As always, given that this is free, booking early is advised on 012873548 or greylib@wicklowcoco.ie.

Halloween at Greystones Youth Cafe

At the Greystones Youth Cafe on Friday, October 30, there’s a costume contest from 2pm to 6pm, with prizes, whilst from 7pm to 9pm, there’s a Halloween movie with plenty of popcorn to share around.

Witch’s walk at Dorlindon

Up at Dorlindon Forest just outside Kilmacanogue they have their Witch’s Hut Adventure Walk, deep in among the trees, where treats and spooky things await. For those who dare venture inside, it will be running until Sunday, November 1. Prices are €15 per adult and €20 per child and booking is advised on dorlindon.com

Wicklow Craft Foundation Showcase

Signal Arts Centre is hosting the Wicklow Craft Foundation for a group showcase exhibition, which runs until Sunday, November 8, with an opening reception on Friday, October 30.

The Wicklow Craft Foundation serves as a voice for the craft sector at the county level, advocating for the needs and interests of local artisans.

Square One at 50 : The Great Gatsby

Tickets are now on sale and going fast for Square One Theatre group’s 50th anniversary production of F Scott Fitzgerald’s classic The Great Gatsby, at the Mermaid Arts Centre, on from November 3–7. Tickets are €23, from mermaidartscentre.ie

Kilcoole Music Festival

Kilcoole Music Festival, celebrating its 68th year is back in November during the weekends of November 13-15 and November 20-22 in Coláiste Chraobh Abhann, Kilcoole. As one of the oldest festivals of its kind in the country, Kilcoole Music Festival has hosted competitions in vocal and instrumental categories since 1955 and provides a wonderful platform for young musicians to perform in public.

Made in Wicklow

Made in Wicklow at Mermaid Arts Centre in Bray, brings together 24 of the county’s makers under one roof from Monday November 2 to Saturday, November 14. Admission is free, and the doors open with an official launch on Saturday, October 31, from 2pm to 4pm.

Expect ceramics and fused glass, bronze and steel sculpture, straw marquetry and furniture, weaving, felt and quilting, cyanotype linen, mosaic, plaster relief, millinery, jewellery and botanical skincare: work shaped by Wicklow’s rivers, coastline, ancient woodlands and hills. Every piece was made in the county, by people who live and work here — a blend of tradition and innovation. The work is for sale – just in time for Christmas.

Delgany comedy

Running every Thursday, The Horse & Hound Comedy Club aims to bring together some of Ireland’s most-acclaimed comedians along with some of the best comedy acts heading to the North Wicklow destination. Headlining on November 5 is Pat McDonnell, of Father Ted, The Savage Eye and Naked Camera.

Bray Chamber at 70

To mark 70 years in the community, Bray & District Chamber of Commerce is working on the ‘Chamber Heritage & Archive Project’, launched in direct collaboration with the Bray Cualann Historical Society. The initiative seeks to collect, digitise, and preserve seven decades of local commercial social history.

The chamber is issuing a public appeal to current and former business owners, multi-generational trading families, retired chamber members, and local residents to submit historical materials, including historic photographs; commercial documents like membership cards, trade newsletters, early event programmes, and historic newspaper clippings; memorabilia, like vintage print advertisements, shop counter signage, and personal oral history reflections.

Selected archival submissions will be featured in a souvenir booklet and displayed during an interactive foyer exhibition at the November Gala at the Glenview Hotel.

Please contact the chamber directly with submissions: history@braychamber.ie.

Civil Service careers

People interested in finding out more about careers in the Civil Service are being invited to a free taster workshop organised by Bray & North Wicklow Area Partnership, on Tuesday, November 10, from 2.30pm to 4pm in the Intreo Office, Bray.

The event is an opportunity for anyone considering their next career move to ask questions, explore the options available and find out how to get started. To book a place, contact Jennifer Jones on 083 393 6923, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, or email jenniferjones@bnwap.ie.

Free conversational English classes

The free Fáilte Isteach conversational English classes are back, offering adults aged 18+ a welcoming and supportive way to build confidence in spoken English, meet others and practise English in a relaxed, café-style setting.

Classes are open to all levels and are available to people living in the Bray and Greystones Municipal District areas. Classes take place at four locations:

Greystones Library – Tuesdays, 9.30–11am

St Andrew’s Church Hall, Bray – Tuesdays, 2–4pm

St Peter’s Parish Centre, Little Bray – Wednesdays, 7–9pm

County Wicklow Lawn Tennis Club, Bray – Thursdays, 9.30–11.30am

Come along, practise your English, build your confidence and connect with people in your local community. Classes are free, but registration is required. To register, contact Lorna Lafferty on (01) 286 8266 or email lornalafferty@bnwap.ie.

Danns gigs

The only free live music in Greystones is down at Danns, down in the harbour on Friday nights, with the October line-up featuring The Big Muddy on the 23rd and Woodsy and crew on the 30th.

Christ Church opens doors

Christ Church, on Church Road, Bray, is now open on Tuesday mornings, thanks to the volunteers of the task force. If you would like to come and explore this historic building, or sit quietly in prayer, you will be most welcome to do so.

Bray Comhaltas

Bray Comhaltas has announced that from September 2026, traditional Irish music classes for children and adults will be held in Coláiste Ráithín, Bray and in Gaelscoil na gCloch Liath on Thursday evenings. New members welcome. See braycce.ie or email bray@comhaltas.net.

BARSS volunteers

BARSS (Bray Area Rough Sleepers Support) has put the call out for volunteers ahead of the winter.

If you are based Bray, have a car and can spare 90 minutes one evening a week or even every second week, they would love to hear from you. BARSS is a voluntary food run operating 365 nights of the year in Bray town.

If you think this would be something that would interest you, please email: barssinfo@gmail.com

Bray Women’s Refuge at 30

September this year marks 30 years since Bray Women’s Refuge was officially opened by President Mary Robinson. Bray Women’s Refuge grew from the determination of women who campaigned throughout the 1970s and 1980s for greater safety, support and recognition for women experiencing domestic violence.

For three decades, the refuge has been a place of safety for women and children, while its work has continued to grow through advocacy, awareness raising, outreach and community support.

The refuge is asking people who have been supported by the refuge to fill out a short survey, which can be found on the Bray Women’s Refuge Facebook page.