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“Mullingar Winterfest is a six-week winter festival in the heart of the midlands opens on November 23rd and runs until January 6th. The main feature at the heart of it all will be ‘Mullingar On Ice’, a 600-square-metre ice rink in Mullingar Town Park that will be central to creating a winter wonderland unlike anything seen in the town before. The ice rink will be partly covered with a “festive” marquee, giving all those who come along the opportunity of skating both indoors and out.

All the best value and booking details are online at www.iceskating.ie – early bird tickets are from €9, and there are €28 packages for families of four. There is a separate section on the ice-rink for smaller children and also skating aids for beginners to make it a fun day out for all of the family. Discounts are available for groups over 15 and it is the perfect destination to kick off school tours, work Christmas parties or end of year celebrations for sports teams. Please contact 044 925 2044 for group discounts. Mullingar on Ice is the only ice-skating rink in the midlands and will offer an alternative to local families who don’t want the hassle of travelling to Dublin.

The annual Christmas Market taking place from December 6th-9th will be completely modernised this year with a continental twist and relocation to Mullingar Town Park.

Marketing co-ordinator for Winterfest, Colm Baker said “There has been an outpouring of support from local communities, business owners and residents associations. Of course, with such a large investment undertaken, we are delighted to see that the people of Mullingar are really supporting us, buying tickets for the ice-skating and looking to help out and get involved. This is what it’s all about. The people of Mullingar working together to create a better town for everybody and a wonderful Christmas experience for the kids. In particular, we owe a serious debt of gratitude to Pete Coyne from Tipi Faoi Na Réaltaí who has come on board to organize spectacular Wooden German Huts & Double Tipi’s to create a wonderful Swedish Fika style experience during our Christmas Market.”

“Fika is a cultural concept in Sweden that is designed to allow you to take a moment to slow down, appreciate the good things in life and savor the moment while sipping on a hot drink & nibbling on some baked treats. In today’s fast-paced modern world we all crave a little bit of that and it will be a fantastic addition to the Mullingar Christmas Market for shoppers who need a break from the chaos.”

The Christmas market will also have an array of craft vendors, food stalls and live entertainment throughout the weekend. Mullingar Town Park also has a fully equipped playground, skate park and swimming pool for families to make the most of their day in the town.

Mullingar Chamber president, Tom Hyland, said Winter Fest Mullingar and Mullingar on Ice could bring 100,000 visitors to the town over a six-week period, with the Ice Rink alone welcoming 40,000 ice skaters. Chamber deputy president, Ian Kerr, added that Winterfest featuring Mullingar on Ice will be a “very positive addition” to the landscape locally an and could generate as much as €3 million in additional revenue for the town. A total of 30 temporary jobs will also be created in Mullingar.

Mullingar truly seems to becoming a winter wonderland and a perfect day out for all of the family in the Midlands this Christmas.

Winterfest Mullingar are extremely excited to announce Swedish Fika style experience for the Christmas Market in Mullingar Town Park.

With the spooky scenes of Halloween now past, the buzz around Mullingar & the surrounding areas is well and truly focused on Christmas and in particular, the arrival of Mullingar’s first ever ice-skating rink.

A huge amount of work has been undertaken behind the scenes to create a wonderful winter atmosphere in the town and to attract additional business to Mullingar during the busy Christmas period. We can now confirm that Mullingar’s annual Christmas Market will take place in the Mullingar Town Park adjacent to the ice skating rink from December 6-9th and will have an extra special twist this year.

Marketing co-ordinator for Winterfest, Colm Baker said “There has been an outpouring of support from local communities, business owners and residents associations. Of course, with such a large investment undertaken, we are delighted to see that the people of Mullingar are really supporting us, buying tickets for the ice-skating and looking to help out and get involved. This is what it’s all about. The people of Mullingar working together to create a better town for everybody and a wonderful Christmas experience for the kids. In particular, we owe a serious debt of gratitude to Pete Coyne from Tipi Faoi Na Réaltaí who has come on board to provide spectacular Wooden German Huts & Double Tipi’s (shown below) to create a wonderful Swedish Fika style experience during our Christmas Market.”

“Fika is a cultural concept in Sweden that is designed to allow you to take a moment to slow down, appreciate the good things in life and savor the moment while sipping on a hot drink & nibbling on some baked treats. In today’s fast-paced modern world we all crave a little bit of that and it will be a fantastic addition to the Mullingar Christmas Market for shoppers who need a break from the chaos.”

The scale of the project being undertaken by Mullingar Chamber cannot be understated. The ice-skating rink will be built on a structure over the pond and will hold up to 200 people with a separate section dedicated for small children. As can be seen from the images, the Christmas Market also promises to be a spectacular festival in Mullingar Town Park.

John Keane from Mullingar Chamber told us “From a logistics point of view it has been a mammoth task to organize everything and we couldn’t do it without the support of the local community. We were delighted to meet with local residents groups recently to discuss our plans and hear any concerns that they may have. In particular, we will be encouraging attendees to use designated parking areas such as the parking spaces at the Westmeath County Council buildings and ask everybody to respect the neighbouring areas when attending the ice rink and the Christmas Market.”

“It’s great to see such tremendous support from the local community and we hope that we continue to see people willing to help and get involved. We are working with the Mullingar community to create an extraordinary Christmas for everybody and we are really excited about the news that Tipi Faoi Na Realtai are bringing an unbelievable experience for the people of Mullingar. Ticket sales have surpassed some of the ice-skating rinks in the big cities, and that wouldn’t be possible without the locals of Mullingar who have been sharing our posts online and spreading the news far & wide.”

For those of you who have caught ice skating fever, Colm says, “Tickets are flying out and our early bird sale ends at the latest on the opening day Friday, November 23rd or if we sell out before that. Early bird tickets are only €9 but they are limited to 20 tickets per session so you need to be quick and book them online at www.iceskating.ie. One of the biggest reasons to choose Mullingar is that you can ditch the chaos, queues & terrible traffic that comes along with going ice skating in Dublin. While doing so, you will also be supporting local businesses and making it possible to have other major events like this in Mullingar in the future.”

And it’s not just for families and friends, there’s also been a huge amount of interest from local sports clubs, schools and businesses. Colm says, “We’ve also been busy reaching out to local sports clubs to offer particular sessions as fundraising opportunities to help them raise some money for clubs. Similarly, a number of schools have booked sessions on the ice-skating rink as part of their school tours and some companies have treated their staff to ice-skating as part of their Christmas work parties or just as a little treat for all their hard work throughout the year.”

It is hoped that Winterfest Mullingar will attract over 100,000 people to Mullingar this winter and will bring a much needed boost to the town. Mullingar will definitely be the hotspot of activity in the Midlands this winter and you better get your skates on if you want those early bird tickets.

If you want to find out more about the different options available for clubs, schools and businesses or sponsorship opportunities please email info@winterfestmullingar.ie.

We recently sat down with John Keane from Mullingar Chamber of Commerce to find out more about the launch of Winterfest Mullingar and the details of Mullingar’s first-ever ice-skating rink that will be opening on November 23rd in the Town Park.

What has the reaction been to the launch of Winterfest?

I’m delighted to say that the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. We had a great day at the launch and I’d like to once again extend my thanks to all who participated. Since then, we have seen a massive interest in ice-skating tickets and local businesses have been asking how they can get involved with Winterfest. At the moment it seems that we will have the only ice-skating rink in the midlands so it’s a great alternative for families who don’t want the hassle & costs of travelling to Dublin.

How can local businesses get involved with Winterfest?

There are a number of sponsorship opportunities available for local businesses that will guarantee them huge exposure over the vital Christmas retail period. If any business owners want to find out more they can contact events@mullingarchamber.ie. We were delighted to have the Annebrook House Hotel involved with our recent competition in the Westmeath Examiner and we hope other businesses will support Winterfest, as ultimately they will benefit from the people we attract to the town. The more we can attract, the more that local businesses will benefit. We also have a hot food vendor opportunity available for six weeks at prime position alongside the ice-skating rink.

Is there anything else planned for Winterfest Mullingar apart from ice-skating?

Yes. Mullingar Christmas Market is back again for it’s 5th year and will be taking place from December 6-9th. With fine food & drink as well as many great children’s attractions all weekend long, this has fast become the “must attend” event in the Midlands at Christmas time and we’re hoping that the ice-skating rink will attract even more people to the town.

How can you buy ice-skating tickets?

Ice-skating tickets are currently on sale on www.iceskating.ie and there are a limited amount of early bird tickets remaining.

Can you just turn up to the ice-skating rink and pay?

Yes, you can buy tickets at the box office but this will be the most expensive option and you also could be disappointed if the session is full. The best thing to do is to book online and secure the best value early bird tickets.

What price are the tickets?

There are a limited number of early-bird tickets available at only €9. These are only available on www.iceskating.ie. Prices will then increase to €14 online and €17 at the box office at peak times.

How many early bird tickets are available?

There are only 20 early bird tickets per session. Many sessions have already sold out of early bird tickets so if you want to go ice-skating at a particular date and time you need to book as soon as possible to get the best value.

What is the best deal for families?

The early bird tickets are the best deal for families. Once the early bird tickets have sold out for a particular session families will benefit from a discounted price but this is more expensive than the early bird tickets.

Is the ice-skating rink kid friendly?

Yes, absolutely. There is a kids skating rink to make sure the smaller children have a safe place to skate! There are also penguin skating aids to help kids and beginners keep their balance.

What is the best deal for groups eg. Christmas parties?

The best deal at the moment for everyone is the early bird tickets. However, because many of these have sold out already, groups over 15 people eg. transition year students, school tours, work parties etc. can contact the sales team on 044 925 2044 to book directly at a reduced rate.

Who should go ice-skating this year?

EVERYONE! It’s not often that Mullingar has something as extraordinary as an ice-skating rink in the Town Park so it’s crucial that the people of Mullingar support it, tell everyone about it and join in on the fun. It would seriously dent the confidence of any future event organizers to choose Mullingar as a destination if the ice-skating rink is not a success. Of course it will make for a great day out with friends, family and work colleagues!

Ice Skating fever has well and truly hit Mullingar since the launch of Winterfest Mullingar with over 1,500 ice skating tickets being sold in the first week. The town has been gripped by excitement following the news that Mullingar Town Park will be transformed into a winter wonderland very shortly. John Keane of Mullingar Chamber said “We had a wonderful launch in the Park with so many local businesses and representatives showing their support for this unique initiative and that has been backed up by a huge number of ticket sales in the first week.”

Winterfest Mulllingar is a six week festival that will incorporate a range of events including Mullingar’s Annual Christmas Market and is expected to bring over 100,000 visitors to the town in what will be a massive boost for local businesses. John says “The Christmas Market has created a fabulous festive atmosphere in the town over recent years and Mullingar on Ice will only help to enhance that festive feeling and bring more people into town during a vital period for retailers, restaurants and pubs. It is absolutely vital that business owners and the local community get behind Winterfest and spread the word far and wide.”

With the prospect of being the only ice-skating rink in the Midlands this winter it’s clear why tickets are proving to be such hot property. John says “We were surprised with how fast we passed the 1,000 ticket sales mark but when you consider that tickets are only €9 and that it saves families the hassle of travelling to Dublin during the hectic Christmas period you can see why people are choosing Mullingar on Ice. There are a limited number of ice-skating tickets remaining for only €9 available on www.iceskating.ie and over 12 sesssions have already sold out of early bird tickets. So, if you want to secure a date and time to go with your friends, family or your Christmas work party, you need to book on www.iceskating.ie as soon as possible.”