DONEGAL’s annual children’s arts and book festival, Wainfest, celebrates a landmark 30 years this month.
The 2026 festival was officially launched this week in the beautiful surroundings of Oakfield Park.
For three decades, Wainfest has inspired young imaginations and brought children, families and communities together through books, stories, performance and creativity. 2026 is a milestone year which promises to be an extra-special celebration of that legacy.
Attending the launch, children from Raphoe Central National School and St Eunan’s National School, Raphoe, enjoyed a special workshop with local actor, illustrator and writer John D Ruddy.
This year’s festival will take place from October 10-18 in libraries, community and cultural venues across Donegal. The special 30th anniversary theme, “Small Voices. Big Stories.”, highlights the power of every child’s voice and reminds us that even the smallest stories can have a big impact.
Launching the festival, Leas-Chathaoirleach of Donegal County Council, Cllr Terry Crossan described the thirtieth celebration as a “wonderful milestone, one that everyone involved should be extremely proud of.
“For three decades, this much- loved festival has been bringing books, stories, creativity, music, performance and imagination to children and families right across Donegal,” he said.
“This year’s theme, Small Voices: Big Stories, reminds us that every child has a unique perspective, a voice worth hearing and a story worth telling.”
This year’s programme includes more than 100 events for schools, families and young people across Donegal. Activities will take place throughout the county, giving children from every corner of the county the chance to get involved and enjoy the celebrations.
Among the family highlights are performances by Donegal storyteller Little John Nee, hands-on science workshops with Cell Explorers, a family Drive-in Cinema Workshop, the popular Ramelton Treasure Trail, arts and crafts, gaming, and creative workshops including sewing, candle-making and 3D printing.
Families can also enjoy special Wainfest cinema screenings across the county and explore the Lights and Magic exhibition at Donegal County Museum.
Schools can look forward to a fantastic line-up of children’s authors, illustrators, historians and performers.
Highlights include workshops and talks with John D Ruddy and Niall de Búrca and a Moomin Puppet Show performance ‘Mischief and Mystery in Moominvalley’ along with creative writing, heritage, animation, science and environmental events.
A particularly special event in this year’s programme is ‘Small Voices. Big Stories.’, a 30th anniversary celebration at Central Library, Letterkenny on October 15. Dr Niall Muldoon, Ombudsman for Children, will join local schoolchildren to hear their views, answer their questions and celebrate the importance of children’s voices.
The event reflects this year’s festival theme by encouraging young people to share their experiences, ideas and stories.
As Wainfest enters its fourth decade, Donegal County Council remains committed to creating opportunities for children and young people to explore their creativity, express themselves and discover the joy of reading, learning and the arts.
For 30 years, Wainfest has helped nurture young imaginations and foster a lifelong love of culture and creativity, and the 2026 festival promises to be one of the most exciting programmes yet.
Following the launch, schools will receive electronic copies of the festival brochure, while families can access the full programme online at www.wainfest.ie or pick up a brochure from their local library or cultural venue.