ChildVision is an organisation that provides educational opportunities for Ireland’s blind and partially sighted children and young adults. ChildVision rely on fundraising and without it, a lot of their services wouldn’t exist.
The Rockin’ Road Festival is one of the ways of fundraising. This year will be the fifth Rockin’ Road Festival, bringing in thousands of people from around Dublin and beyond to the vintage-styled event.
The idea of the Rockin’ Road Festival was initially set up for people interested in vintage cars, scooters and bikes as there was little happening in Dublin for those who shared the same passion. NewsFour spoke with David Bagnall, who was the man behind the idea, “I have been working for ChildVision as a Social Care Worker for the past seven years and with government cuts to our organisation, I suggested a family-themed day for groups with related styles of music and hey presto the idea was born.” The festival to date has raised roughly €60,000 for ChildVision.
The festival is an outdoor event with a 40-foot truck for the stage, a top sound system provided free from Avtek, with seven bands and two DJs who all play for free. The line-up of bands this year includes Clash Jam Wallop, Atomic, Stone Trigger, The Very Specials, Caff, Hooligan, The Roadhouse Doors, I am Car Crash with DJs Beep Beep and Robbie Dawnay. There will be a large display of vintage and modern scooters, bikes and cars.
To keep kids entertained there’s going to be bouncy castles, slides, pottery, painting, a petting farm and hire carriage rides around the grounds. To keep you fed there will be an Eddie Rockets Chuckwagon, Coffee Ape, an Ice Cream van and a market with stalls selling all kinds of vintage clothes, art, cakes and much more. There are
acres of free off-road parking.
The Rockin’ Road Festival takes place on Sunday 25th May from 12pm to 8pm on the grounds of ChildVision, National Education Centre for Blind Children, Grace Park Road in Drumcondra. Entry fee is €10 and kids are free. All proceeds after public liability insurance go to ChildVision.
Above: Rockin’ Road Festival 2013.Photo by David Bagnall.
By Donna Dunne
