Family Friendly Events
Enjoy food-filled family fun with hands-on cooking classes, child-friendly talks and demos, food trails, interactive play, and memorable family dining experiences.
*Please note booking fees may apply on some events
Cork Food History Guided Tour
10.00am-12.00pm, Wed 12th & Thurs 13th Aug, Cork City Centre
Step back in time on this guided walking tour exploring Cork’s rich food heritage. Visit iconic sites like the English Market and the Butter Museum while sampling local flavours along the way. Learn how Cork’s food story has evolved from Viking times to today through engaging storytelling, tastings, and conversations.
Adults €73.50 | Youth (10-17) €63.17 | Children u10 Free | Activity Days - Cork Food History Tour
Taste the Goodness Community Garden Party
12.30pm-4.00pm, Wed 12th Aug, Knocknaheeny Hollyhill Community Garden
(Behind Applegreen garage)
Join NICHE Health Project for a special open garden party, celebrating community and local food. Pick fresh produce straight from the garden, enjoy live music, food, face painting, and more. A fun, relaxed event for all ages.
€2 donation | No booking required. All welcome.
Cork Culinary Tour
2.30pm-5.00pm, Wed 12th, Thurs 13th & Sat 15th Aug, Cork City Centre
Enjoy a true Cork experience with storytelling, Irish culture, food and drink. You will wander through the famous English Market, in operation since the 18th century, with tastings of local award-winning cheese, mouthwatering seafood fresh from the Atlantic, handmade Irish bread, gourmet country sausages, and more. The tour finishes in a relaxed gastro pub where guests can enjoy a sharing platter and a creamy pint or local beverage of choice.
€110 Adult | €80 Youth (12–18) | €35 Child | Email frances@bonner-travel.com
Little Beekeepers Breakfast
10.00am-11.00am, Thurs 13th Aug, Bakestone, Perry Street
A fun, hands-on one-hour morning for families exploring the world of bees and honey with Hanna’s Bees. Children will learn how bees live, how honey is made, and even meet some of Hanna’s bees up close. The morning includes a honey-themed breakfast with pancakes, fruit, yoghurt and juice for the children, along with honey tasting, kids’ crafts, and pollination seeds to take home. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
€12 | Little Beekeepers Breakfast Bookings
The Hysterical Histories - Food, Fame and Frivolity Walking Tour
11.00am-12.45pm, Thurs 13th Aug, Cork City Centre
Discover the highlights of Cork’s foodie past and the city's 1500-year history, through the eyes of Cork's quirky characters and pickiest eaters on this truly unique walking tour of Cork City.
Adults €15 | Youth (6-12) €10 | u5's FREE with discount code: FORKWALK26
Hysterical Histories Thursday Tour
Children's Pizza Making Workshop
11.30am-12.30pm, Thurs 13th Aug, Marina Market
Learn how to stretch and top pizza with some of Oak Fire Pizza's chefs at the Marina Market. In this hands-on workshop, children will make their own pizza which will then be cooked for them to taste their amazing creations!
€15 (includes a pizza) | Children's Pizza Workshop with Oakfire
Hysterical Histories Cork - Dinner Theatre Experience
7.00pm-9.30pm, Thurs 13th Aug & Fri 14th Aug, Amicus Restaurant
A laugh-out-loud 2-course dinner theatre experience unlike anything else in Ireland. This packed performance is suitable for all ages. Discover the highlights of Cork's 1,500 year history and become acquainted with the city's quirky characters. Enjoy Cork cuisine made from locally sourced ingredients served up with live music and plenty of personality as you engage with the actors. Leave with a belly full of food, a warm heart and a pain in your face from laughing.
Adults €50 | Youth (3-12) €27 | u2's Free with discount code: FORKFEST26 Hysterical Dinner at Amicus
Dough-n't Stop Believin'
11.00am-12:00pm, Fri 14th, Sat 15th and Sun 16th Aug, Epomeo Pizza, Princes Street
Watch the Epomeo Pizza team in action as they stretch, shape, and fire up their signature pizzas at speed, revealing the high-heat science and cold-ferment secrets behind their dough. Then get hands-on yourself, building and stretching your own pizza with expert guidance before it’s fired and ready to enjoy.
€25 | Dough-n't Stop Believin' Booking Epomeo Pizza
A Hysterical Children’s Food Trail
12.00pm-2.00pm, Fri 14th Aug, Cork City Centre
Join Angela from Hysterical Histories for a fun and fascinating children’s food trail through Cork City Centre. Children can sample bite-size child-friendly local food as they wander through the city. They will also hear fun and interesting facts about food and history in Cork. This year’s new route will include Amicus, Urban Pantry, the English Market, and Tory Top Chocolates. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, who can also book tastings if they wish.
€18 | Children’s Food Trail Bookings Eventbrite.
Taste of Shandon: Bells, Bread, Butter, Beef... Samosas and Sweets! - Booked Out
2.00pm-4.00pm, Fri 14th Aug, The Butter Museum
A lively showcase of food, tradition, and local craft at The Butter Museum in the historic Shandon area. Enjoy demonstrations of traditional soda bread and butter making with The Butter Museum and delicious samosas with The Four Liars, and hear insightful talks from local butcher James Nolan on spiced beef and the history of Shandon Bells. Visitors can also taste classic hard sweets from Shandon Sweets. Please note: Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
FREE | Booked Out
Coffee House Lates at Nádúr Deli
6.00pm-9.00pm, Fri 14th Aug, Nádúr Deli, Nano Nagle
Nádúr Deli, nestled in a charming 18th-century building on the plaza of Nano Nagle Place, is staying open late, serving the very best of Irish + organic ingredients with live music + a tasting on the plaza. The menu embraces nature’s table with tasty plates, speciality cakes, Bean + Goose hot chocolates + West Cork Coffee organic coffee. Part of Coffee House Lates during Cork on a Fork.
No booking required | Walk ups only.
Cork on a Fork Markets & Open Street Event
10.00am-5.00pm, Sat 15 & Sun 16th Aug, South Main Street and Surrounds
South Main Street will be pedestrianised for an Open Streets event, creating a relaxed, traffic-free space for the Festival Market, which will extend onto Tuckey Street and Grand Parade. Enjoy delicious Cork food, Cork craft stalls, live music, and street theatre throughout the day. Meet the animals at the pop-up Rumleys Farm and enjoy free family-friendly activities including giant games and face painting. A day of food, entertainment, community, and family fun in the heart of the city, supported by Open Streets, a net-zero city pilot project.
FREE | All welcome.
Consume Cork Cooking Demos Marquee
10.30am-6.30pm, Sat 15th & Sun 16th Aug, Cooking Demo Marquee outside Cork City Library, Grand Parade.
Our Festival Cooking Demo Stage on the Grand Parade will host of demos and tastings all day, celebrating the best Cork chefs and producers. MC'd by food writers Kate Ryan and Joe McNamee., these are free to attend thanks to support from Cork City Council, Fáilte Ireland, Ireland's Ancient East, the Wild Atlantic Way, and SuperValu.
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10.30am: Cooking with Amaranth: Learn how to cook with amaranth, a Mexican superfood locally grown in Cork's international garden, with Mexican plant scientist Mabel Hernánde.
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11:30am: Tiger Balm Club - All Killer, No Filler! Get up close and personal with Cork’s latest supper club collective, Tiger Balm Club, exploring the flavours of Vietnam and Thailand with founders Mark Ahern and Bryan “Sunshine Primo” Rudd for a high energy cookery demo that's gonna be "All Killer, No Filler"!
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12:30pm: Beans to Get The Pulse Racing: Join Cork's very own “Bean Queen”, Ali Honour, as she demonstrates why we should all bang in some beans with our daily meals! Ali will cook recipes from her debut cookbook, Beans, using beans, peas and lentils for climate conscious eating that’s all about delicious, sustainable nutrition.
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1.30pm: TBC
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2.30pm: TBC
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3:30pm: Discover The Magic of Soda Bread - Made in Minutes with Darina Allen: Join Darina Allen of Ballymaloe Cookery School as she prepares and bakes in minutes traditional Irish soda breads, as well as comforting twists on this Irish classic!
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4:30pm: Rescue The Plate with Food Cloud: In partnership with FoodCloud, we turn Food “Waste” into Food “Ace” with our two Cork chefs, Kate Lawlor-Lyne of K O'Connell Fishmonger and Eoghan O'Flynn, of The Metropole Hotel. Ready, Steady, Cook-style, our chefs will be tasked with making delicious dishes using a surprise bag of would-be food waste rescued from some of our festival restaurants with a winner chosen by a surprise Guest of Honour!
- 5.30pm: Cork on a Stick:Mad cap mayhem as three Cork chefs cook off against each other to produce the best pintxos-style taste of Cork on a Stick. Watch Orla McAndrew of OM Catering, Epi Rogan of Fiain Wild Flowers, & Meadhbh Halton of Meb's Veg battle it out for the most coveted title of the year! This time, it's an all-female line up!
FREE | All welcome. Limited seating.
Farmers Market & BBQ
10.00am-5.00pm, Sat 15th Aug, Glenbrook Farm
Experience the best of local food and farming at a pop-up Farmers Market in the barn at Glenbrook Farm. Browse and buy fresh meat and seasonal vegetables, grown and produced on the farm, along with other produce from a selection of local makers and producers. There will be BBQ food available all day to purchase and kids might even get a peek at the pigs, piglets, and chickens up close.
FREE Pay on consumption | All welcome | No booking required.
Pizza Party
10.30am - 12.30pm, Sat 15th Aug, Il Padrino
Kids will have lots of fun at this hands on pizza making demonstration at Il Padrino, serving the families of Cork for 24 years. Your little masterchefs will have the opportunity to roll their own fresh dough and put on toppings before enjoying their own creation. The price includes the pizza, a drink and ice-cream.
€10. Pizza Party Booking Eventbrite.
SuperValu Family Zone
11.00am-5.00pm, Sat 15th Aug, Bishop Lucey Park
Enjoy bite-size food demos and hands-on workshops in the Little Foodies Tipi, and tastings and competitions with Supervalu and Glenilen; Meet some of Cork's small producers with LEO Cork City; Pet the animals from Rumleys Farm, dive into giant games with Let’s Play Cork, enjoy free facepainting, and sample tasty treats from Glenilen.
Little Foodies Tipi - Calling all mini makers and junior chefs.
- 11.00am: Storytelling with Cork City Library. The team at the Children and Young People’s Library invite you to dig into a delicious world of stories, all inspired by food! Young listeners can enjoy stories packed with flavours, fun, and imagination.
- 11.45am: Sausage making with O'Flynn Sausages. See how sausages are prepared, learn about the ingredients that go into them, and enjoy a fun demonstration from the experts.
- 12.30pm: Make seed bombs with Niamh Cawley, Community Gardener in the Glen. Get hands-on creating seed bombs to take home, while learning how simple planting projects can help brighten local spaces and support biodiversity.
- 1.15pm: Learn why bees matter and meet the bees with Hanna’s Bees. Find out how bees help pollinate the plants we rely on, hear fascinating facts about hive life, and get a closer look at these amazing insects with an experienced beekeeper.
- 2.00pm, 2.45pm, 3.30pm, 4.15pm: The Cool Food School Demos, where healthy eating meets fun and creativity! Children can participate in cooking workshops where they’ll have the chance to chop, mix, and taste their way to creating delicious and wholesome snacks.
Library Feeding Time at the Wormery
11.00am-11.30am, Sat 15th Aug, Hollyhill Library
The Hollyhill Library worms are hungry! Can you guess what their favourite foods are? Come along and meet our wiggly friends, discover what they love to munch on, and learn how they help the Hollyhill Library garden grow and thrive. Suitable for children aged 5+.
FREE | No booking required.
A Hysterical Children’s Food Trail
11.00am-1.00pm, Sat 15th Aug, Cork City Centre
Join Angela from Hysterical Histories for a fun and fascinating children’s food trail through Cork City Centre. Children can sample bite-size child-friendly local food as they wander through the city. They will also hear fun and interesting facts about food and history in Cork. This year’s new route will include Amicus, Urban Pantry, the English Market, and Tory Top Chocolates. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, who can also book tastings if they wish.
€18 | Children’s Food Trail Bookings Eventbrite.
Bring your Heirloom or Handwritten Recipe Book: RELISH Recipe Book Club
12.00pm–2.00pm, Sat 15th Aug, The Student Hub, Áine Hyland Room G12, University College Cork
Join food historian and EU Horizon researcher Regina Sexton for a special interactive gathering at University College Cork. Bring your treasured family recipe books, handwritten notes and well-worn kitchen favourites. Explore the stories behind these recipes—what they reveal about Cork’s food traditions, changing tastes and culinary heritage—as part of the European RELISH research project. Perfect for anyone curious about food history, family traditions and the rich legacy of recipes passed down through generations.
FREE |RELISH Recipe Book Club Bookings
The Cathedral 7th Century Picnic Experience
12.00pm–4.00pm, Sat 15th Aug, St. Fin Barre's Cathedral
Enjoy a relaxed afternoon in the historic grounds of St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, where Cork was founded in the 7th century, with this unique picnic experience. Pick up your picnic for two from Proby’s Kitchen, located just across the road, inspired by local produce found in this century. Don’t forget to bring your own picnic blanket. A live concert will also take place inside the cathedral from 2.00pm–3.00pm (entry by 1.55pm) as part of Heritage Open Day.
€45 for two | Cathedral Picnic Bookings
Family Cupcake Workshop
2.00pm–3.00pm, Sat 15th Aug, Urban Pantry at the Fifth Quarter
Join Sophie from Sophisticake for a fun, hands-on cake decorating workshop at Urban Pantry, a new café and events space at the Fifth Quarter (Paul St). Perfect for kids and adults to enjoy together, this experience is all about getting creative and making sweet memories. Each ticket includes entry for one parent and one child, a box of four cupcakes to decorate, all materials provided, plus coffee, hot chocolate, and tasty treats.
€40 (for 1 adult & 1 child) |Family Cupcake Workshop Bookings Eventbrite
Farm to Fork Cookup and Guided Tour
2.00pm–4.00pm, Sat 15th Aug, Murphys Farm Community Garden (behind Bishoptown Tennis Club), T12VY10
All are welcome to Murphy's Farm’s Farm to Fork Cook-Up, featuring fresh vegetables straight from their garden. Guest Chef JJ from MTU will be cooking up a delicious stir-fry and vegetarian burgers on-site. Plus, enjoy a guided tour of their beautiful vegetable and flower gardens.
FREE. No booking required
Cork Historic Doughnut Tour
2.30pm–4.30pm, Sat 15th Aug, Meet at 25 Parnell Place, Cork City Centre (T12 VH29)
Explore Cork on a family-friendly walking tour combining tasty doughnut stops with local history and culture. Discover the city through its sweetest treats while getting insider tips on where to eat, drink, and visit.
€50 (adults) / €42 (kids) with “Cork Fork” 10% discount | Historic Doughnut Tour Bookings.
Cork Cultural Show & Pour Your Own Pint Experience
4.00pm–5.30pm or 6.00pm-7.30pm, Sat 15th Aug, JJ Walsh’s
Experience the best of Cork pub culture in this fun, interactive session at JJ Walsh’s. Join the cast of the Cork Cultural Show for a lively celebration of music, dance, and craic. Learn the art of pouring your own perfect pint of Murphy’s or Beamish, take part in an interactive Irish dance workshop, and enjoy live traditional performances in one of Cork’s most iconic venues. A relaxed, family-friendly celebration of authentic Cork culture. Juice included for children.
€25 for adults, €10 for children | Cork Cultural Show Bookings Eventbrite.
SuperValu Family Zone
11.00am–5.00pm, Sun 16th Aug, Bishop Lucey Park
Enjoy bite-size food demos and hands-on workshops in the Little Foodies Tipi and tastings and competitions with Supervalu; Meet some of Cork's small producers with LEO Cork City; Pet the animals from Rumleys Farm, dive into giant games with Let’s Play Cork and enjoy free facepainting.
Little Foodies Tipi - Calling all mini makers and junior chefs.
- 11.00am: Family friendly stretches and Raw Treats. A gentle, family-friendly movement session led by Hazel from The Yoga Tree, designed to stretch, energise and relax both adults and children together. Afterward, enjoy a tasting of wholesome raw treats made from natural, nourishing ingredients.
- 12.00pm: Butter Making with The Butter Museum. Discover the traditional craft of butter making , hear the story of Cork’s historic butter trade and enjoy tasting freshly churned butter on bread.
- 1.00pm: Learn why bees matter and meet the bees with Hanna’s Bees. Find out how bees help pollinate the plants we rely on, hear fascinating facts about hive life, and get a closer look at these amazing insects with an experienced beekeeper.
- 2.00pm, 2.45pm, 3.30pm, 4.15pm: The Cool Food School Demos, where healthy eating meets fun and creativity! Children can participate in cooking workshops where they’ll have the chance to chop, mix, and taste their way to creating delicious and wholesome snacks.
Children’s Pasta-Making Demo
10.00am, Sun 16th Aug, Don Gregorio
Little chefs will discover how to create fresh, authentic Italian pasta from scratch in a fun, hands-on workshop. They’ll mix, knead, stretch and shape pasta before enjoying a delicious bowl at the end.
€20 | Kids Pasta Workshop Booking Eventbrite
Grub Circus Takes Over St. Peter’s
12.00am–5.00pm, Sun 16th Aug, St Peter's
Food Writer Joe McNamee’s renowned Grub Circus takes over St Peters for a food-themed day of savoury shenanigans and edible anarchy featuring some of Cork’s top food producers.
The Grub Circus Dynamo Hum Choir (select members of elite Cork city choirs) provides live entertainment, while a selection of food producer stalls offers ample opportunities for selective snacking.
- 12.00pm: Green Saffron Kids Cook-Off
Arun Kapil, MD of Cork’s Green Saffron Indian spice food company leads a children’s cooking competition. Two teams led by two top chefs, work with mystery food boxes to cook up a prize-winning dish. - 1.00pm: Real Bread Cork
Cork-based members of Real Bread Ireland demonstrate their craft (including free sourdough starters for audience members). Guest Bakers include: Seeds Bakery, Grumpy Bakers, Pike Deli, Ryes & Shine and more. - 2.00pm: The Cork Cheeseboard
Almost half a century ago, the modern Irish Farmhouse Cheese movement began in West Cork. Meet family members of the original cheesemakers who have taken on the mantle and taste some of the best cheeses in the world Including Jeffa Gill (Durrus), Dickie Willems (Coolea), Fingal Ferguson (Gubbeen), Quinlan, Deirdre and Liam Steele (Milleens) - 3.00pm: Bread, Cheese and Wonderful Wine
Le Caveau V Brian’s Wines in a Pour-Off to the Death Ireland’s top natural wine importers compete to pour a glass that pairs best with some of the finest of Cork’s bread and cheese. - 4.00pm: Cold Cuts Do Corktails
Cork Cocktail Masterclass with the renowned Lords of Leeside Libation, Cold Cuts (Oisin Wolfe & Alex Earle) as they conjure up a titillating taste of Cork in a cold, tall glass.
Free | No booking required
The English Market Makers Demos & Tastings
12.00pm–2.00pm, Sun 16th Aug, English Market
An exclusive opening of the English Market for live demos, tastings, and stories from Cork’s iconic traders. Meet producers and enjoy demonstrations and samples from Sauer, Kay’s Kitchen, On the Hoof, Pie Guys, Uncles, and The Chicken Inn.
Free | No booking required