Merlin Festival Returns To Carmarthen This Weekend
The Merlin Festival returns to Carmarthen with a cauldron of magical activities this Saturday (March 25) with the added bonus of free parking in all county council car parks.
The festival celebrates the historic links Carmarthen has with Merlin the magician.
The town is steeped in legend and folklore surrounding the world’s most famous wizard, reputed to have once lived here.
The Merlin sculpture trail, which will be running through the town from Tuesday, March 21, until Saturday, March 25, will tell the story of the legendary characters associated with these tales.
Starting with Merlin himself at Carmarthen library, visitors can follow the trail of seven sculptures, all built by local Carmarthenshire schools and in association with Arts Care Gofal Celf, Splat Cymru and Communities First, through the town.
As a major element of the Year of Legend tourism campaign, this year’s festival has the first ever Magician of The Year Contest, sponsored by Merlin’s Walk Shopping Centre and supported by the Spooky Magic Company.
Five of Wales’s finest magicians have been shortlisted and will be judged by a specialist panel on the main performance area at Merlin’s Walk Shopping Centre.
They will also rotate around other performance areas on Nott Square, Guildhall Square, Red Street and the market clock tower.
Live performances will include a Wizards Academy run by Splat Cymru at Carmarthen Library, family fun shows at Guildhall Square, re-enactment of historical battles in front of Carmarthen Castle in Nott Square
There will also be children’s craft workshops, treasure hunts, lectures on Merlin’s legacy in the library, street entertainment, craft and food street markets and a Fairytale Fair at St Peter’s Hall.
Event details
8am – Free car parking starts
10am – Merlin’s Cave opens with kids magical crafts workshops; Splat Camp Wizards Academy and Children’s Story telling (Carmarthen Library); Stained glass workshops with Arts Care Gofal Celf (Yr Atom); Fairytale Fayre opens (St. Peters Hall); Carmarthenshire Crafts market opens (Guildhall Square)
10.30am – Normanniswales Arthurian Re-enactments (Carmarthen Castle)
11am – Martin Pilkington Merlin Lecture “Who Was Merlin?” (Carmarthen Library); Merlin’s Walk Magic Contest (Merlin’s Walk and various locations); Merlin’s Magic Dome (St Catherine’s Walk)
11.30am – Fun with Merlin! Children’s entertainment (Guildhall Square)
12pm – Normanniswales Arthurian Re-enactments (Carmarthen Castle)
12.15pm – Fiery Jack fire performance (Guildhall Square)
1pm – Fun with Merlin! Children’s entertainment (Guildhall Square); Splat Camp Wizards Academy (Carmarthen Library); Martin Pilkington Merlin Lecture “Merlin trail in Carmarthenshire” (Carmarthen Library); Legacy Merlin Dance Performance (Carmarthen Castle)
1.30pm – Stained glass workshops (Yr Atom, King Street)
1.45pm – Fiery Jack fire performance (Guildhall Square)
2pm – Legacy Merlin Dance Performance (Carmarthen Castle)
2.30pm – Normanniswales Arthurian Re-enactments (Carmarthen Castle); Fun with Merlin! Children’s entertainment (Guildhall Square)
3pm – Martin Pilkington Merlin Lecture “Merlin and the grail” (Carmarthen Library); Legacy Merlin Dance Performance (Carmarthen Castle)
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