FREE
Future of Food Breakfast with The Irish Examiner, sponsored by Musgrave
10.00am-12noon, Wednesday 13th August, Good Day Deli, Nano Nagle Place
The very first event of this year's Cork on a Fork Fest will focus on the business of food, in partnership with the Irish Examiner and Musgrave. Hear first-hand insights from businesses on challenges and opportunities, MC'd by the Irish Examiner senior food writer Joe McNamee. You’ll also enjoy a delicious breakfast filled with local produce and receive a goody bag to take home.
Open to businesses or individuals involved in Cork's food industry.
Tickets: FREE. Limited places. Please express interest to attend or take part in the panel by emailing corkonaforkfest@gmail.com
Taste the Goodness Community Garden Party
12.30pm – 4pm, Wednesday 13th August, Knocknaheeny Hollyhill Community Garden (Behind Apple Green garage)
Join NICHE Health Project at Knocknaheeny Community Garden for a special open garden party. Open to everyone, you'll enjoy freshly baked cob oven pizza and refreshing drinks. Plus, enjoy a guided tour of the beautiful garden and some music. A perfect family outing!
Tickets: FREE. No booking required. Donations welcome
Food and Mood Talk
11.00am, Thursday 14th August, Ballincollig Library
An engaging talk on how we can support our mood through nutrition, focusing on how food affects mood, the gut-brain axis, nutrition tips for supporting our mood, and important nutrients for brain health.
FREE. No Booking required
English Market Cooking Demo with Cork Chef Orla McAndrew
1.00pm - 2.00pm, Thursday 14th August, Outside the English Market on Grand Parade
FREE. No booking required.
Planning Nutritious Meals Talk
2.00pm, Thursday 14th August, Blarney GAA Hall
Get practical tips on how to create balanced and nutritious meals, with plenty of suggestions for delicious breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack ideas that you can make at home (a Blarney Library event). FREE. No booking required.
La Dolce Vita Cork Style - the Italiano Playlist
11.00am, Friday 15th August, Cork City Library, Rory Gallagher Music Library
Come and join us for a morning of Italian music presented by Denis McSweeney and learn about the performers and their lives beyond the stage. Prepare to enjoy some great classics such as Dean Martin, Pavarotti, Sinatra, Perry Como, Mario Lanza and enjoy some of the best tastes of Italy such as Pizza/ Bruschetta/Cannelloni and Biscotti. This will be a fun morning and guaranteed to be enjoyed by all, La Dolce Vita Cork style.
FREE. No Booking Required
Food and Mood Talk
11.30am, Friday 15th August, Mayfield Library
An engaging talk on how we can support our mood through nutrition, focusing on how food affects mood, the gut-brain axis, nutrition tips for supporting our mood, and important nutrients for brain health.
FREE. No booking required
Nice to Mead You! Mead-Making Class and Talk
1-2.30pm, City Library, Thomas Davis Room
Join us for a practical demonstration on how to make your own mead at home, along with a discussion of the origins, history and ecological importance of mead-making. 18+ only.
FREE. No Booking required
Bone Health
2.00pm, Friday 15th August, Glanmire Library
Learn all you need to know about nutrition for bone health including essential nutrients, foods to include in your diet to support bones, and nutrition and lifestyle tips to promote optimal bone health.
FREE. No booking required
Bread, Beef, and Butter at The Butter Museum
2.30-4.30pm, Friday 15th August, The Butter Museum at Shandon
The Butter Museum at Shandon is the place to be on Friday afternoon with a number of demonstrations on the making of traditional soda bread and butter, and a talk from local butcher James Nolan on corned beef. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
Tickets: Free
Book here
Food, Fun and Farm at the Cornmarket St Market (Coal Quay)
11.00am - 3.00pm, Saturday 16th August, Coal Quay Cornmarket Street
Pop down to the Cornmarket Street (Coal Quay) Market, enjoy light bites on the street and everyone can have lots of fun with a pop-up Rumleys Farm, facepainting and giant Jenga, connect four, corn hole, balance board games, colour catcher games, tug of war and more, with our Let’s Play Cork play leaders. Note: this is not supervised play and parents are responsible for children. Play street and facepainting from 11am-1pm.
Tickets: FREE (No booking required)
Cork on a Fork Food Market & Play Street
11.00am - 5.00pm, Saturday 16th August, Emmet Place (outside The Crawford Art Gallery)
Get a taste of Cork's incredible produce and local businesses at the Cork on a Fork Food Market. There will be live music and family fun with giant games and free face painting during the day. A Cork City Council event, sponsored by Fáilte Ireland, Ireland's Ancient East and the Wild Atlantic Way.
FREE ENTRANCE No booking required
Cork on a Fork Cooking Demos Live Stage
11.00am - 6.00pm, Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th August, Cooking Demo Stage, Emmet Place
A 100-seat Festival Cooking Demo Stage on Emmet Place (outside the Cork Opera House) all day with a host of demos and tastings. The events are MC'd by food writers Joe McNamee from the Irish Examiner, John and Sally McKenna from McKenna Guides and Kate Ryan from Flavour.ie. Sponsored by Fáilte Ireland, Ireland's Ancient East and the Wild Atlantic Way.
FREE. All welcome. Limited seats. No need to book. See Stages & Markets page for more.
Saturday:
- 11.00am: Smokin’ Fish with Aishling Moore of Goldie and Sally Barnes of Woodcock Smokery
- 12.00pm: Summer Alfresco with Clodagh McKenna
- 2.00pm: Takashi Takes on Tripe
- 3.00pm: Young Rebel Uprising
- 4.00pm: Modern Vegan & Vegetarian Food with My Goodness, Paradiso and Meb’s Veg
- 5.00pm: Tastes of Home with Saoirse Ethnic Hands
Sunday:
- 11.00am: Rob Fitzpatrick, Market Lane
- 12.00pm: Summer Italian Supper with Clodagh McKenna
- 1.00pm: Cork on a… Stick! A Cork Cook-Off, with a Twist!
- 2.00pm: Street Food Showdown
- 5.00pm: Rescue The Plate
Cork on A Fork Talks and Tastings Stage
11.00am - 6.30pm, Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th August, Talks & Tastings Stage, Emmet Place
Tastings, panel discussions, and masterclasses. Hear fascinating stories from local chefs, food and drinks producers, insights on the local food industry, and more. And there's often a tasting thrown in!
FREE. All welcome. Limited seats. No need to book. See Stages & Markets page for more.
Saturday:
- 11am: Cork’s Food Revolution: Innovators Shaping the Future
- 12.15pm: Liquid Gold - A Celebration of Cork’s Blas na hÉireann Award-Winning Beverages
- 3.15pm: In Gut Health – Eat and Drink Your Way to a Happy and Healthy Gut
- 4.15pm: Raw Treats Demo and Stretches with The Yoga Tree
- 5.30pm: Splitting the C – A Celebration of Cork’s Independent Stout Brewers
Sunday:
- 2.30pm: Talking recipes with Cork’s Blasta Book authors
- 4.00pm: The Journey of Five Farms with Tasting
More will be announced shortly.
The Gruffalo’s Tasty Tale
12.00 Noon, Saturday 16th August, Eason's, St Patrick's Street
A Harvest of Nations, One Garden, Many Kitchens
12.00pm - 2.00pm, Saturday 16th August, Togher Community Garden
Food Explorers: A Tasty Cork Adventure for Kids!
12 Noon - 1.00pm, Saturday 16th August, St Peter's North Main Street
A fun-filled children's workshop where we’ll play, learn, and create our way through the delicious world of food in Cork! Grown-ups who make rules (we call them policymakers) want to hear from YOU—so they can make the best plan for food that is good for you and good for nature.
- Discover where your food comes from
- Play games to learn how food travels from farms to forks
- Explore how to spot healthy choices in your neighbourhood
- Design your own dream food-friendly city
- Hands-on fun
- Arts & crafts with a food twist
- Prizes and stickers for superfood explorers!
Come hungry for fun—and don’t forget your imagination. Let’s make Cork the healthiest, happiest place on the planet to eat and live – one snack at a time! Ages: 5-12yrs
Tickets: FREE [Booking will open soon]
English Market Cooking Demo with Cork Chef Orla McAndrew
1.00pm - 2.00pm, Saturday 16th August, Outside the English Market on Grand Parade
Tickets: FREE (No booking required)
International Tea Ceremony and Cooking Demos
2.00pm - 4.00pm, Saturday 16th August, Tea Room and Lecture Theatre, Nano Nagle Place/School of Architecture
Book here
Farm to Fork Cook-up and Guided Tour
2.00pm - 3.30pm, Saturday 16th August, Murphy's Farm Community Garden, Curraheen (behind Bishopstown 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.
Tickets: FREE (All welcome, No booking required)
Raise a Glass to Cork: A Talk & Tasting with Local Drinks Producers
5.00pm - 6.00pm, Saturday 16th August, St. Peter's North Main St
Join Joe McNamee, Senior Food Writer with The Irish Examiner, as he hosts an engaging conversation and tasting with Cork drinks producers. Hear the stories behind the bottles from the makers themselves—the award-winning Kinsale Mead Co., Stonewell Cider, and Rebel City Distillery—as they share insights into their craft, inspiration, and the future of Cork’s drink scene. Guests will enjoy guided tastings throughout.
FREE. All welcome. Limited seats. No need to book
Cork on a Fork Food Market & Play Street
11.00am - 5.00pm, Sunday 17th August, Emmet Place (outside the Crawford Art Gallery)
Get a taste of Cork's incredible produce and local businesses at the Cork on a Fork Food Market. There will also be live music and family fun with giant games and free facepainting during the day. A Cork City Council event, sponsored by Failte Ireland, Ireland's Ancient East and the Wild Atlantic Way.
Kids’ Pasta-Making Demo!
2.00pm, Sunday 17th August, Don Gregorio, Washington Street
Join the fun at Don Gregorio on Washington Street for a FREE pasta-making demonstration for kids! Under the guidance of their head chef from Italy, little chefs will get hands-on experience as they roll out fresh dough and use a handheld pasta machine to create authentic, homemade pasta. A perfect way to introduce kids to the joy of cooking.
Tickets: FREE. Book here
Lee Fields Foraging with Chef Epi Rohan
2.00pm, Sunday 17th August, Car Park Lee Fields
Discover the hidden flavors of nature on this unique foraging adventure with renowned chef Epi Rohan. Set against the lush backdrop of Lee Fields, this immersive experience will introduce you to the wild edible plants that thrive along the banks of the River Lee and beyond. Guided by Epi’s expertise, you’ll learn how to identify, harvest, and incorporate these natural ingredients into delicious dishes. Expect hands-on foraging, insightful culinary tips, and a fresh perspective on the local landscape.
Tickets: FREE. Book here
Herb Garden Workshop
2.00pm - 4.00pm, Sunday 17th August, Douglas Community Park, Church Road (Meet outside Douglas Community Centre or at the herb garden)
Douglas Tidy Towns invites you to an exploration of the herb garden in Douglas Community Park with a herb preparation making demonstration lead by botanist Jo Goodyear.
Tickets: FREE. No booking required
Talking recipes with Cork’s Blasta Book authors
2.30pm-3.30pm, Sunday 17th August, Talks & Tastings Stage, Emmet Place
Blasta Books burst onto the cookbook scene in 2022 and changed the face – and voice – of Ireland’s food story and becoming an instant cult classic. Join this enlightening chat with Cork’s Blasta Book authors Aishling Moore (Goldie x Whole Catch), Caitlin Ruth (Caitlin Ruth Food x Funky), Orla McAndrew (OM Catering x Larder) and Eman and Izz Alkarajeh (Izz Café x Jibrin) for how food and stories are changing how we eat. MC'd by Kate Ryan,Flavour.ie
FREE. All welcome. Limited seats. No need to book
The Journey of Five Farms with Tasting
4.00pm-5.00pm, Sunday 17th August, Talks & Tastings Stage, Emmet Place
Hear about the journey of Five Farms Irish Cream Liqueur, a local producer that embodies the true spirit of farm-to-table craftsmanship. Crafted from single batches of fresh cream blended with premium Irish whiskey within 48 hours of collection, this authentic liqueur captures the essence of West Cork. Sourced exclusively from five family-owned farms in the region, every step of the process—from mixing to bottling—takes place locally in Cork, making it a true rebel county creation. Tastings will be offered at this talk. Over 18s only.
Rescue the Plate
5.00pm, Sunday 17th August, Cooking Demo Stage, Emmet Place
In partnership with FoodCloud, join us for the final marquee event of the festival as we turn Food “Waste” into Food “Ace” with two of Cork’s leading Zero Waste chefs, Ali Honour and Orla McAndrew. 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!
FREE. All welcome. Limited seats. No need to book