You've made it! Next week, there will be plenty of tears as little children go to school for the first time, and that's just the grown-ups.There will also be lots of happy parents as some older kids return too! But, why not finish the season with a blast.
There are thousands of ideas for things to do in Ireland on YourDaysOut.ie and we have selected some of our favourites for the last weekend of summer.
1) Dalkey Lobster Festival
The Dalkey Lobster Festival takes place in the chilled out village of Dalkey from the Thursday 24th to Sunday, 27th August. The festival presents a fusion of local seafood with the best of current global jazz musicians and lots of fun events for all the family to enjoy.
2) Milford Hospice Harvest Fair
The annual fundraiser for the Milford Hospice with Books, Toys, Fancy Goods Stalls, The Wheel of Fortune, face painting, puppet show (new this year), the Bottle Stall and bouncy castles. Proceeds from the Harvest Fair will go towards supporting existing hospice services and the building of a new state-of-the-art hospice.
3) Harvest Festival Westport House
Celebrate the end of summer with a new country music festival featuring Miranda Lambert, Nathan Carter, Kip Moore and more. Family camping is available.
4) A Taste of Donegal
Running from August 25th - August 27th, you can taste and purchase some of the finest food and drink available from all over the country. There will be live demonstrations from top Irish chefs and a closing fireworks display over Donegal Bay on Sunday evening.
5) Dublin Fun Fest
To celebrate the end of summer, Dublin City Council is hosting free family entertainment in Smithfield including dance classes, inflatable games and a variety of food vendors.
6) Belfast Mela
Northern Ireland's biggest celebration of cultural diversity returns on 27th August. The Belfast Mela is the city’s annual celebration of global cultures when tens of thousands of visitors pack the Botanic Gardens to celebrate people and diversity with a fun programme of events and activities.
7) Oughterard Show
It might be a fun local show but it's still competitive. There are prizes in lots of classes including cattle, ponies, horse, sheep, donkey, domestic arts, dogs, cats and family pets. There will also be free children entertainment with bouncy castles, zorb balls and an obstacle course as well as a Bonny Baby and Best Dressed Lady competition.
8) Loughrea Medieval Festival
The 4th Annual Award Winning Loughrea Medieval Festival takes place from the 25th to 27th August 2017 and includes the Walled Towns Day in Loughrea on Sunday 27 August from 1pm to 5pm.
9) Blanchardstown Family Fun Day
A fun filled afternoon for all the family to celebrate the end of summer with crazy golf, face painting, bouncy castles and lots more. And the best part is Fingal County Council run it for FREE!
10) The Irish Game and Country Fair
The Fair is one of two Great Game Fairs Of Ireland. It is an event with a wide family appeal for those who live, work or play in the Irish countryside with international class prize funds, fantastic fine food festivals and great main arena attractions in the grounds of Birr Castle.
11) Trim Salmon of Knowledge Festival
The festival is a celebration of the River Boyne, set against the magnificent backdrop of Trim Castle. It takes place on the last day of Heritage Week and will showcase cultural, historical and sporting activities both local and throughout the Boyne Valley. There are lot of events and activities including the Boyne Adventure Race.
12) Bundoran Lifeboat Soap Box Race
The 6th Annual Bundoran Lifeboat Soapbox Race - run by and in aid of the local volunteer RNLI crew - happens on 27th August with a fun family atmosphere in Bundoran, County Donegal.
13) Belvedere House, Gardens & Park
An Inflatable Colour Run takes place at Belvedere House & Gardens on Sunday, 27th August. Combining the fun of a colour run with the thrills of an inflatable run, this fun day out is suitable for all ages. Walk, run and laugh your way around the course and collect your medal at the finish line.
14) IFI Family Festival
As the summer draws to a close, you can treat the kids to their very own film festival. There is a nice mix of workshops and movies including the film adaptation of We're Going On A Bear Hunt, Rudolf The Black Cat, a puppet workshop and even a book clinic.
15) The Auld Lammas Fair
Ireland’s oldest fair returns to Ballycastle on August 28 and 29. The present day fair provides street entertainment and market stalls. Two days of trading, bargaining, busking, amusements and street entertainment competitions to add to the atmosphere in the beautiful seaside resort of Ballycastle.
The Ballycastle Annual Heavy Horse and Vintage Show also takes place on Saturday, 26th August and this year's Fair will be officially launched with a spectacular seafront fireworks display.
Three things to do next week:
Just because summer is over doesn't mean that the fun has to stop.There are always loads of fun events throughout Ireland and we'll continue to bring you a selection every week.
1) Air Show Port Stewart
One of Ireland's biggest air show takes place at the top of the island this weekend with two-days of spectacular displays in Port Stewart. As well as free aerial displays. There is plenty to do and see at ground level with a wide range of attractions and activities.
2) Electric Picnic
It might be one of the last of the summer festivals but it's also one of the most anticipated. Headline acts this year include Duran Duran and The XX but Electric Picnic is so much more than a music festival with comedy, talks and chill-out zones ensuring a fun weekend regardless of your tastes.
3) Feast
Now in its 15th year, the Midleton Food and Drink Festival has rebranded as Feast Cork! It will still bring together a mouth-watering array of food produced by local growers in the region as well as some treats from further a field. But it's not just the food; there will alsthingso be balloon artists, jugglers, stilt-walkers, face painters, puppet shows, live music and much more.
Hope everyone has a smooth Back to school time but more importantly a lotta craic together beforehand :)
