African Bazaar
The African Bazaar featured stalls from various African representative associations, as well as from all African countries with an embassy or diplomatic representation in Ireland.
Following on from their hugely successful participation in Africa Day celebrations in 2008, the Uganda Association of Ireland once again participated in the Bazaar area at this event. The Association showcased the food and customs of Uganda, and provided information about their country, along with fantastic drumming and dance performances.
The Guinean Association of Ireland also hosted a space in the Bazaar, showcasing Guinean food, drink, art and crafts, alongside demonstrations of traditional Guinean music and dance.
The Association of Malawians in Ireland, meanwhile, demonstrated why Malawi is called 'the warm heart of Africa' by showcasing several celebratory musical dances as well as organising a mock ‘Village Wedding’. They encouraged visitors to the event to participate in Malawian singing and belly-dancing, and also displayed Malawian carvings and artefacts.
Zambians in Ireland – the representative body for the Zambian disapora throughout the island of Ireland – hosted a space in the African Bazaar, displaying the Zambian flag, alongside posters and information leaflets about the country and free snacks and drinks.
The Somali Community in Ireland also participated in 'Africa Day @ Iveagh Gardens', offering delicious traditional Somali food and showcasing Somali textiles and the national flag.
The Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt provided free food and drink samples to visitors to the Iveagh Gardens event, to allow them to sample the traditional tastes of Egypt. In addition, the Egyptian space showcased the culture and customs of the country.
The Ethiopian Embassy, meanwhile, hosted a traditional coffee ceremony for visitors to 'Africa Day @ Iveagh Gardens'. The highlands of Ethiopia are famed for their coffee, and the Embassy showcased different varieties of Ethiopian coffee, alongside high-quality leather products; historial and cultural photographs and posters, and traditional Ethiopian costumes.
The Ghana Embassy showcased textiles and various art and crafts. They also provided free Ghanaian food samples to visitors to the Iveagh Gardens event.
The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya showcased art; wooden and soap stone carvings; sample export products, and posters portraying Kenyan culture.
The Embassy of the Kingdom of Lesotho displayed crafts, cultural artefacts, costumes, posters, portraits and brochures in the African Bazaar. In addition, the Embassy's traditional Basotho dancers performed on the Main Stage over the course of the day.
The Moroccan Embassy offered visitors to the Iveagh Gardens traditional Moroccan delicacies, and showcased aspects of the country's culture, history and tourism opportunities.
The Embassy of Nigeria provided free samples of Nigerian food for visitors to the event. It also showcased leatherwork by Kano artisans; ebony carvings from the Benin area, and bronze from Ife. Traditional Nigerian cultural costumes - from the Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa tribes - were on display, along with works by the country's most renowned authors, such as Ben Okri and Chinua Achebe. A traditional Igbo masquerade performance also took place at the Nigerian Embassy's space.
The Embassy of South Africa also hosted a space in the African Bazaar, showcasing South African culture and offering information to visitors on Ireland's relationship with South Africa.
The African Bazaar was also brimming with street entertainment and lots of fun activities for visitors of all ages.
Fun Family Activities
Face-Painting with Habitat for Humanity's Blackhall Builders
A team of facepainters from Habitat for Humanity's Blackhall Builders worked in the African Bazaar throughout the day. For a small fee (€1.50), they painted faces in fantastic African colours, and all monies raised went towards building houses in Zambia.
Habitat for Humanity is a worldwide non-profit organisation that works in partnership with families in need of shelter to build simple, decent, affordable homes. Blackhall Builders are a team of 18 trainee solicitors, qualified solicitors and Law Society staff travelling to Zambia this July to be part of the Habitat for Humanity Orphans and Vulnerable Children project in Lusaka. Previous teams built 4.5 houses and raised funds to build a total of 17 houses. This year's team will spend two weeks living and working with the local community: building houses, coaching soccer, working in an orphanage and visiting schools.
Giant Family Jigsaw-Making with Trócaire 
To celebrate African families working with the organisation both overseas and in Ireland, Trócaire invited visitors to ‘Africa Day @ Iveagh Gardens’ to participate in fun jigsaw-making activities. Trócaire’s space at this event was comprised of a large jigsaw, made up of 11 pictures of different families, including:
- The families of African people who work in the organisation’s overseas offices and their offices in Maynooth, Belfast and Cork.
- The families of Trócaire’s partners overseas.
- The families of people their partners work with on the ground.
Visitors to the event were invited to try their hand at putting this giant jigsaw together. Blank mini-jigsaws were also available, on which young visitors could draw their own families and – afterwards – bring their newly-created jigsaws home.
Stands detailing the stories of four of the families featured in the giant jigsaw – and their connection with Trócaire – were also displayed.
Games and Competitions with Camara
Camara is an Irish charity that refurbishes used computers in Ireland and then equips schools in seven African countries with computers, educational software and IT training.
During 'Africa Day @ Iveagh Gardens', Camara hosted various interactive games and competitions, welcoming both children and adults to take part. Activities included a 'PC Jigsaw', where vistors were challenged to take apart and re-assemble a hard-drive in record time; an African word-search quiz, and a Wikipedia quiz, all of which could be conducted on the computers at the Camara stand. Plenty of prizes were on offer, and Camara volunteers who taught computer skills in African schools were also on hand to talk to anyone interested in learning more about the organisation's work.
Street Entertainment
Street entertainment was provided in the ‘African Bazaar’ area – and throughout the ‘Africa Day @ Iveagh Gardens' event – by various groups and performers.
The Edo United Association's cultural dance wing presented Edo cultural dances and songs. The Association's dance troupe is made up of 12 performers, who were adorned with traditional Edo attire and accompanied by traditional instrumentalists. In addition to their participation in the African Bazaar, the Edo United Association also staged a performance in the Arts Marquee's Performance Zone from 1.30-2pm.
Dressed in traditional Bini costumes, the Bini Community of Ireland’s lively performance group staged music and dance performances throughout the day. The singers and dancers were accompanied by drummers and other musicians, some of whom joined in the dancing, equipped with their ceremonial spears. The Bini Community of Ireland also hosted a dance, singing and drumming workshop in the Performance Zone of the Arts Marquee from 2-2.30pm.
The African Irish Sports Association also staged singing and drumming performances at 'Africa Day @ Iveagh Gardens'. The group showcased a traditional masquerade performance from the south-west region of Nigeria, and also gave 'talking drum' performances, where a lead drummer is 'answered' by the drums of his colleagues, as they engage in a drumming dialogue.
Inkindi n’Inganzo – a group of five traditional dancers from Rwanda – performed dances throughout the day at ‘Africa Day @ Iveagh Gardens’. All members of the group were dressed in traditional Rwandan costumes. In addition to their performances in the African Bazaar, the group also staged a dance performance in the Arts Marquee's Performance Zone from 12.30-1.30pm.