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festivals · Friday 10 July 2026 · 4:00 PM 
Taste of Wicklow
At Wicklow Franciscan Abbey · Abbey Street, Wicklow, Co. Wicklow
At Wicklow Franciscan Abbey · Abbey Street, Wicklow, Co. Wicklow
One of the most established food festivals on Ireland’s east coast returns to its original home in July 2026. The Taste of Wicklow takes over the Abbey Grounds in Wicklow town across three days, bringing together more than 30 artisan food producers, live music, chef demonstrations and family entertainment in a setting that is genuinely hard to beat - a restored medieval friary garden a short walk from the seafront. It suits food lovers, families, and anyone passing through Wicklow who wants to see what the county actually produces.
The festival is organised by Wicklow Town and District Chamber of Commerce alongside Wicklow Naturally and Made in Wicklow, so local producers are at the core of it. You will find artisan stalls, tastings, live cooking demonstrations and workshops across the three days, with guest chefs including Catherine Fulvio and Rachel Allen appearing alongside local talent. Around 15 craft stalls run alongside the food traders, giving it a market feel as well as a festival one.
Each day has its own character. Friday evening opens with an outdoor cinema experience. Saturday brings live music through the day. Sunday focuses on chef demonstrations and tastings. Family-friendly activity runs across the weekend - face painting, storytelling, balloon modelling and magic shows keep younger visitors well occupied while adults eat.
The Abbey Grounds themselves add something real to the occasion. The site is part of a Franciscan friary founded in the thirteenth century, and the walled gardens give the festival a sheltered, intimate feel that open fields cannot replicate. The grounds were refurbished in recent years and have become a proper events space for the town.
Wicklow town sits on the N11 / M11 corridor, roughly 50 km south of Dublin city centre - around 45 minutes by car outside of peak summer traffic. The train is a practical option: Irish Rail runs regular services from Dublin Connolly and Heuston interchange (change at Bray or take a direct Rosslare line service) to Wicklow station, which is about a ten-minute walk from Abbey Street. If you drive, street parking is available around the town centre; Abbey Street and nearby streets fill quickly on summer weekends so arriving earlier in the day is sensible.
Wicklow town has a pleasant harbour, the ruins of a thirteenth-century Black Castle on the headland, and a good stretch of beach at Brittas Bay a few kilometres south. There is more to see in Wicklow and across Co. Wicklow.
Heading to Wicklow Franciscan Abbey in Wicklow? Wicklow has plenty more to see. Read the Wicklow area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.