Ditch The Drink – 6 Booze-Free Ways To Enjoy This Bank Holiday Weekend

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So here we are, at another bank holiday weekend: halle-feckin’-lujah.

As brilliant as they are, every bank holiday comes the looming spectre of drinking far too much, followed by the inevitable hangover that turns this beautiful long weekend into a total misery.

But there are alternatives! Check out our list of booze-free activities that you should do this bank holiday weekend, while avoiding the dreaded hangover.

1. Bram Stoker Festival

Get yourself in the Halloween spirit with this festival celebrating the life and work of Dracula author, Bram Stoker.

The festival offers a wide variety of day and nighttime activities for you to choose from, such as walking tours, a 5K zombie run, markets, the Maser interactive street installation, visiting the witch (kinda like a Halloween version of visiting Santa Claus), and Stokerland, a pop-up Gothic theme park.

The festival runs until October 26, for more information click here.

2. Taste City Fusion

One for all you food enthusiasts. The Taste City Fusion festival offers bespoke dining opportunities, masterclasses in Christchurch Cathedral, citywide food events, and a street food fair. Whether you’re into craft beers, cookies, or Q&A sessions with master chefs, this is a must for all foodies.

It runs until October 25, tickets range from €10 and you can get them here.

3. IFI Horrorthon

Here’s another little something to get you in the mood for Halloween. Catch a slew of horrifying movies at the IFI this weekend, including The Hound of the Baskervilles, Dracula AD 1972, The Green Inferno, and many more. Find your tickets here.

They’ll also be showing the newly released Goodnight Mommy, which supposedly has the most terrifying movie trailer ever made… which you can watch below.

4. Mind Body Spirit & Yoga Dublin Festival

Achieve inner peace over the weekend with this three day event.

It features over 75 different workshops and lectures, including a dedicated yoga and wellbeing studio space, with free classes and taster sessions hosted by some of the Irish best loved yoga and wellbeing teachers. The festival will also feature over 150 stalls and a live stage with over 45 performances.

The festival runs from October 24 until October 26, get your tickets here.

5. Mrs Shakespeare

Theatre goers, take note.

Taking place at Smock Alley, Mrs Shakespeare tells the story of Shakespeare reincarnated in the body of a woman. The Bard reborn realises that she made a mess of Hamlet the first time around and seeks to remake it under the title Ophelia. However, the characters of the original play, and Mrs Shakespeare’s psychiatrist, have other plans…

The show takes place today at 8pm, and tomorrow at 2pm and 8pm. Tickets are €12 and you can find them here. Check out the trailer for the show below.

Mrs. Shakespeare Theatre Play from Petr Stach on Vimeo.

6. The NeverEnding Story

You’ll have to act fast if you want to attend this one. We talked about this a few weeks ago, the ’80s classic The NeverEnding Story will be screened in a church this evening.

The story revolves around a kid called Bastian, who ducks into a bookshop to avoid bullies and finds a novel called The NeverEnding Story. In the book, he reads about the land of Fantasia, a destructive darkness known ‘The Nothing’, and he even finds a description of himself, making him question if Fantasia might just be real…

The screening takes place at Dublin Unitarian Church, 112 St. Stephen’s Green West, tonight at 7.30pm. Buy your tickets here.

Remind yourself of the childhood favourite by checking out the trailer below.