Dublin this week: a little darkness, plenty to go out for

The week’s quieter good news

Before the costumes and late nights, a small piece of civic news is worth a look. Dublin and Douglas signed a friendship and cooperation agreement on Wednesday 21 October. Isle of Man Today reports that culture, education, tourism and opportunities for young people are among the areas the two cities want to explore together.

That is a promise of closer ties, rather than a new service you can book: the agreement does not announce a transport route, a funded project or an exchange programme. For now, the interesting part is the intention to turn a relationship across the Irish Sea into something residents can use.

Make room for the spooky weekend

The immediate invitation is closer to home. The Bram Stoker Festival runs from Friday 23 to Monday 26 October, putting theatre, storytelling and outdoor events into the bank-holiday diary. If your ideal Halloween involves a stage rather than a costume, the programme lists Stitch at Smock Alley Theatre across the festival dates. Check the individual performance before making a plan.

For families, start with Stokerland in St Patrick’s Park. It opens at 11am on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, with free entry and no advance booking required. Storytelling, performances and games share the programme with face-painting and a free carousel. This is our daytime pick: several kinds of activity in one place, without committing to a paid performance.

Save Monday evening for Macnas

The long weekend’s outdoor finale is Fiáin, the Macnas parade, at 7pm on Monday 26 October. It moves through the North East Inner City, starting on North Great George’s Street and continuing through streets including Gardiner Place and Seán McDermott Street. General attendance is free and unticketed.

There is one useful detail to put beside the time in your calendar: organisers ask people to gather from 6.45pm and not earlier. Their designated accessible viewing spaces have already been allocated, so read the route and accessibility information before travelling if that affects your plans. Pick a viewing location from the organiser’s guidance rather than assuming every point offers the same access.

A different kind of evening

If the Gothic programme is not your thing, there is another straightforward Saturday option: Ticketmaster lists Shed Seven at Vicar Street at 8pm on 24 October. It gives the weekend a live-music alternative to the festival. The listing specifies over-18s and ID required, so this is an adults’ evening rather than another family suggestion. Follow the listing for tickets and current arrangements before setting out.

Keep Vicar Street in mind for the following week, too. Richard Ayoade: Afterthoughts is listed there at 8pm on Tuesday 27 October. Admission is over-16s, with under-18s accompanied by an adult. Treat it as a separate evening to investigate, rather than trying to pack every suggestion into the bank holiday.

Keep a little space for the libraries

For the midterm diary, Dublin City Council Libraries has public Children’s Book Festival sessions alongside its school visits. The options include character drawing with Úna Woods in Cabra or Phibsboro, a reading and draw-along with Paul Nugent in Pembroke, and comics with Karen Harte in Inchicore or Finglas. Check each branch’s date, age guidance and booking arrangements. Those smaller sessions offer a useful next step after the big outdoor weekend.