Successful return of popular health and wellness event

Elevate Fit Fest

By Anna Powell

Elevate Fit Fest returned to Shanbally House and Gardens, Nenagh, for its fourth year in a row recently. The event features a range of health and wellness activities and was well supported by the local community.

Kate Duggan, founder of Elevate Fit Fest, said: “It’s a showcase of all elements of health and wellness, be it from exercise classes, talks, workshops, cooking demos and everything in between. Tips on how to enhance your life and just feel a little bit better about yourself, or maybe you pick up a new skill or a new hobby, or make new friends and find your community, that is the intention behind it.

“It was a great success. It was really busy,” pointed out Kate, sharing how she believed the size of the festival has doubled year on year.

“Whether you are really into exercise, or you just want a day out where you can have nice food and just meet different people and shop different brands, there really is something for everyone and I think that came across,” she said.

Based in North Tipperary

“It’s great to bring something like this to North Tipp,” added Kate, who pointed out that such large-scale events and festivals generally take place in the capital of the country.

However, four years ago, Elevate Fit Fest became the first large scale health and wellness event to take place in Munster.

“Why not Tipperary? I think it’s right in the heart of everything. We have such amazing landscape, businesses, instructors. People from around are incredible and really active and engaged and really big on supporting local,” expressed Kate. She pointed out that the venue is a great fit with the festival's activities.

“It’s a holistic venue in that we are an organic farm. We grow organic veg for culinary supply and we host corporate retreats, anything with a holistic edge.

The Duggan family took ownership of Shanbally House and gardens in 2013 and transformed it into an event venue.

“To see the transformation and the growth from 2023 (when the event first took place on the grounds) to now this year, seeing the walled gardens in full bloom, it’s just really nice,” expressed Kate about how the estate has been beautifully transformed.

Growth of the festival

“It’s a full year of planning projects to bring the two days to life,” expressed Kate about the work that goes in behind the scenes to make Elevate Fit Fest happen.

“I would have never anticipated that it would have grown to this level,” she reflected.

“We will be back in 2027,” added Kate. “This year we got to partner with All Together Now. To have access to a festival and a platform like that is huge.

“The goal is to make Elevate a national calendar event,” she said, pointing out how the event has also been a positive addition for the local economy.