The Groove festival is on this weekend, and it looks like the perfect family day out

If you have yet to bring your children along to the Groove festival in Bray, Co. Wicklow, you might want to start a new yearly tradition this weekend.

The festival, this year brought to you by Energia, takes place at the stunning Killruddery House & Gardens on August 19th and 20th, and the organisers promise a ton of fun for families (and everyone else too).

Widely known as the most accessible festivals for all ages, kids under 12 now go free to Groove, and teens (when accompanied by an adult) can also enjoy reduced rates into the festival.

And don’t worry, there is plenty to keep everyone in the family entertained. For little Groovers there is a giant sandpit and petting zoo, plus arts- and crafts classes. The team from Silly Billy Events will be running shows from 11am to 6pm daily, and as part of the new Thrive wellness area chef Oliver McCabe will be on hand with healthy kids cooking demos.

There will also be kids’ yoga classes running in the Thrive area – all free and included in the entry ticket. As well as this, you will also find Zorbs on the lakes, Climbing Wall and Archery areas, with these exciting outdoor activities letting you see Groove on the water or the lofty heights of the climbing wall.

The line-up for the festival is amazing this year, with Primal Scream and UB40 headlining the acts, as well as Hudson Taylor, Jerry Fish, Chasing Abbey, Third Smoke, Jamie Duff and many more also making an appearance.

Food wise you’ll be able to enjoy delicious and healthy treats from The Happy Pear, Box Burger, Kilruddery House Kitchen, The Crepe Box and Urchin – to name a few.

Oh, and the best bit? The convenient family tickets allow parents to go home, drop the kids with the babysitters and come back for more fun as Groove Festival kicks on into the evening with an epic line up of artists and food stalls. As well as this, Groove also has extended opening hours this year which means families have even better value for money and more time to spend enjoying the magnificent surroundings of Killruddery and all the new activities.

The backdrop for the festival, the stunning Killruddery House & Gardens, is located just a 30-minute drive from Dublin City Centre, and has plenty of onsite parking available. In addition, shuttle busses will run from Bray Dart Station to the site during the day and evening.

This year, the Groove festival has chosen Down Syndrome Ireland to be their charity partner for 2017, and are asking Groovers to support their Spinathon cyclists, who will be completing a whopping 600KM virtual tour during the festival, to raise much-needed funds for the charity. Any festival goers who are feeling energetic are also welcome to hop on the bike and share the journey.