Plans for this year’s Joy in the Park are taking shape
Mental health awareness festival Joy in the Park will return to Leeside this year following its massively successful inaugural outing last summer.
The event, which attracted almost 10,000 visitors last year, takes place in Fitzgerald's Park on 23 July.
Created in partnership with Cork Mental Health Foundation, Joy In The Park aims to balance a sense of fun with connection and understanding, whilst raising awareness for mental health and wellbeing. A free, fun-filled family afternoon, Joy In The Park promises a quirky and eclectic mix of live music, spoken word, storytelling, children's entertainment, circus, workshops, and wellness activities, alongside a delicious food market.
This year promises another stellar live music line-up with headliners The Frank and Walters, one of Ireland's best loved and most recognizable alternative Indie Irish bands in the past 3 decades. They are joined by Cork's own soul queen Karen Underwood and her band, award winning traditional folk artist Aoife Scott, and ska favourites, Pontious Pilate and The Nail Drivers.
The Mad Hatters' tent will make a return this year, featuring some of Cork's finest grass roots acts including Elly O'Keeffe, Hank Wedel, Victoria Keating and Aine O'Gorman, Leah Sohotra and Martin Leahy, Alan Tobin and Justin Grounds, and Clare O'Mahony. Meanwhile, the Joy Sylvie Stage will host a mix of spoken word and hip-hop with acts yet to be announced.
Families will be spoilt for choice with a full programme of entertainment throughout the afternoon including the return of the Circus Factory performing their spectacular shows, as well as giving audiences the opportunity to try out some circus tricks through their workshops.
This year also welcomes Circus Fanzini's Professor Plunger, the infamous comedy clown guaranteed to cause outbursts of laughter, whilst characters of the Eccentric Hatter's Crew go walkabout, keen to meet and greet anyone who cares to say hello. Jammed with activities throughout the afternoon, including arts and crafts, giant outdoor games, Kinderama's movement for kids under 6 and mediation for all ages with Kelsang Drolma, there is simply something for everyone.
Over at The Couch Sessions, in association with Minding Creative Minds, Ireland's first 24/7 (32 county wellbeing support programme for the Irish creative sector, will present a mental health panel and an introduction to their mentoring services. Joy In The Park will also welcome Comhairle na nÓg back to this year’s event, who will host a number of fun activities and games in the Rose Garden in support of youth mental health.
Joy In The Park’s engaging programme of wellness, sensory activities and workshops, is provided by the HSE Cork & Kerry Community Health Action Zone and a number of organisations and community groups including SHINE, MyMind, GROW, Cork Counselling Services and Jigsaw. They will be joined by PIETA, Samaritans, Shine A Light, Aware.ie, and the National Learning Network who will be at the event as part of the support hub, offering their support and information throughout the afternoon.
In June of 2021, event organiser Linda Plover sadly lost a close family member; her name was Joy, and she was everything her name represents; she loved music and the arts and wrote poetry and short stories. Her favourite colour was purple.
Joy In The Park, which the Cork Independent is media partner with, hosted its inaugural event on 17 July 2022 in Fitzgerald's Park in Cork city with more than 9.5k people attending.