Picnic in the Park
Date: 24 May 2026
Venue: Woodburn Urban Park, Derry/Londonderry, Derry/Londonderry, BT47 5PQ
A Slow Sunday in the park!
Join us in the Waterside for a relaxing slow Sunday afternoon at Woodburn Urban Park — a chance to unwind, connect, and enjoy a gentle day outdoors with your community.
Bring a blanket, settle in, and soak up the calm atmosphere as the park becomes a space for creativity, conversation, and simple pleasures.
There's plenty to explore throughout the day. The Conservation Volunteers will host free, hands-on workshops for all ages, including making upcycled wind chimes and bug hotels from reclaimed materials (1-3pm), as well as sunflower seed planting to take home (1:15pm). They'll also be on hand for informal Q&A sessions, sharing practical tips on composting (2pm) and rainwater harvesting (2:30pm).
Got a passion for baking? It's time to turn up the heat and claim the title of Waterside's ultimate baker at our exciting competition, "Bake On!"
We're calling all local amateur bakers to step into the spotlight and showcase their most delicious creations, judged by the talented local baker Laurent Pirone of Oui Bakery.
Submit your bakes by 12:30pm and let the judging commence at 1:30pm - after which everyone is invited to try the bakes for themselves!
Competition Categories:
Best Large Bake – Showstopping cakes, pies, tarts, or loaves
Best Small Bake – Bite-sized delights like cookies, muffins, cupcakes, or brownies
Best Junior Baker (Ages 5–9 and 10–14) – Whatever your young baker loves to make most!
Plus, don't miss your chance to win special awards for:
Most Creative
Best Taste
Best Decoration
Enter via this online form (https://forms.gle/suDi2fz5MKfaeS9v6) - or phone 028 7134 2959.
Slow down for Yoga with Michael: an inspiring 30 minute outdoor yoga session.
Two sessions: 1-1:30pm and 1:30-2pm
♂️✨ Take a moment to slow down with Yoga with Michael
Join us for a relaxing 30-minute outdoor yoga session focused on connecting with your body, moving with your breath, and enjoying the journey — movement by movement
Whether you're new to yoga or already practising regularly, this session offers the perfect chance to reset, unwind, and enjoy some mindful movement in the fresh air
Breathe deeply. Move gently. Be present.
Warm up with free hot drinks from The Coffee Cart, or take a mindful moment at the Slow Drawing session from 1-2pm with artist Cara Donaghey. Through contour and continuous line techniques, participants will create abstract drawings inspired by their surroundings—an invitation to slow down, observe, and enjoy the creative process.
Lastly, from 2-3pm, join Music Kin for a nourishing, joy-filled group singing session where families come together to connect, uplift, and share in the simple pleasure of song. Learn easy, feel-good melodies by ear in a welcoming space—no experience needed, just a willingness to join in. Open to All.
Whether you come to get involved or simply to relax, Picnic in the Park is all about taking time out, enjoying nature, and sharing a peaceful Sunday together.
Waterside Together is a shared green spaces events and festival project which aims to reanimate spaces that are perceived as belonging to the 'other community', transforming them into areas that are open, welcoming, and safe for all members of the Waterside community. Programmes will be delivered in parks, greenways and community spaces, targeting a range of participants including families, children and young people, older people, and members of the BAME community. Part of the programme will be a shared spaces festival that promotes the collective usage of the green infrastructure in the Waterside and which encourages the movement of people to areas that they would not usually use for recreational purposes.
Waterside Together is supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) and funded under the theme of Community Regeneration and Transformation, and it is also funded through Derry City and Strabane District Council's PEACEPLUS Local Co-Designed Action Plan.
Waterside Together is delivered by Waterside Neighbourhood Partnership.