Our Pick of What’s On in NI this week/weekend!

Down

Renowned as the premier Irish Literature Festival in Northern Ireland, the Aspects Irish Literature Festival 2012 will take place from 26th – 30th September in various venues around Bangor AND for Music and Guitar lovers, this weekend is the 16th Ards International Guitar Festival from 27th – 30th September. See www.ardsguitarfestival.co.uk.

Tyrone

The Hill of The O’Neill Dungannon will be alive on 29th and 30th September with the Taste of Tyrone Food Festival. County Tyrone was the first place in Northern Ireland to establish a Good Food Circle – this County food festival helps to promote the high standards of local produce and fine dining. Set your taste buds alight at this fantastic two-day food event. Forty local food producers will be laying out their wares with taste kitchens, cooking demonstrations, butter churning, apple pressing and a range of other food crafts and food theatre.

Fermanagh

Keeping it ‘Rail’! – A weekend of events to celebrate Fermanagh’s railway heritage.  Thursday 27th – Saturday 29th Sept – 3 day vintage Steam Traction run from Bundoran to Enniskillen stopping off at all the railway stations along the way with special evening events in Bundoran (Wed), Belleek (Thurs), Irvinestown (Friday) and Enniskillen (Sat).  Two vintage steam traction engines will be taking part and an opportunity will be provided for former railway employees to help drive and fire the engines as they travel from station to station.

Derry

The Vale Craft and Gift Fair takes place on Sunday 30th September Clooney Road, Greysteel.  A great event not to be missed!! Come along and see crafters displaying their goods and gifts – building up a craft mecca for their customers. There will also be music, refreshments, handcrafted products and gifts! For the kids there will be face painting and balloon modelling. Admission 50p – kids go free!

Armagh

If you go down to the woods today you’re sure to get a surprise…a curious young girl, a picnic in the woods, domesticated bears and lots and lots of porridge!  Goldilocks and the Three Bears – a well loved classic told in an imaginative and gentle way, through the use of puppetry, storytelling and theatre. A perfect introduction to theatre for young audiences aged three to seven years. Saturday 29th September at the Market Place Theatre Armagh.

Antrim

The Chinese  Mid-Autumn Festival takes place in Belfast this Thursday 27th September.  The festival highlight will be a lantern parade starting at City Hall, passing along Chichester Street, up Victoria Street, into Oxford Street and then to the River Lagan behind the Waterfront Hall were there will be an array of colourful water lanterns released onto the river.  Join the lantern parade at City Hall or make your way down to the back of the Waterfront for free Chinese Crafts and launch your own lotus flower lantern into the river.  Behind the Waterfront there will be performances from the Open Arts Choir, Beat N Drum as well as fire breathing acts, Dragon Dancing and more.