Ards and North Down Borough Council Tourism Events Team, are excited to announce the rest of their programme of events for the coming summer; after the hugely successful Easter Monday in Bangor the fun has only just begun!
The Easter Monday event was attended by 50,000 people, who basked in glorious sunshine and enjoyed the activities at “Pirate 24” and the highly-charged Trialstar bike show at The McKee Clock Arena. The highlight of the day was the spectacular carnival parade which featured over 500 participants from local youth groups, sports groups, professional performers, live bands and local businesses.
Next up for Ards and North Down Events is the annual May Day event which is taking place on Monday, May 4. The popular annual festival will include top quality musical performances from The Monster Ceilidh Band and Folk Dance Remixed along with popular traditional favourites such as Maypole Dancing, local competitions, children’s entertainment and a huge array of stalls which will also keep all the family entertained throughout the day.
On Saturday May 9, as part of the national celebrations of the 70th Anniversary of VE Day, Ards and North Down will be hosting a commemoration parade in conjunction with The Royal British Legion. The parade will take place at 2.30pm from The Town Hall and will include a mixture of approx. 500 veterans and serving officers. Also in keeping with the national celebrations listen out as church bells ring out across the town to mark this momentous time in history.
The Continental Market will be arriving at The McKee Clock Arena on Thursday May 14 for a five day stay. Featuring a wonderful range of foods and crafts from across Europe, the market has something for everyone and is a great day out for the whole family.
Then on Saturday, May 16, the Ards & North Down Pipe Championships will be taking place in Castle Park. This ever popular event will see Pipe Bands & Drum Majors travel from all over Northern Ireland to compete to become champions. The event is free and runs from 11am to 6pm.
The much-loved Sea Bangor Festival will be making a welcome return to the town on June 27 & 28. The maritime festival will include a tented village in Quay Street car park featuring the “Big Bangor Bake Off” competition which will be run by SERC, children’s activities, maritime themed street theatre, a food tent, a fantastic live music programme and so much more! The festival will also welcome the tall ship Morganster along with a navy vessel which will be moored alongside The Eisenhower Pier and will be open to the public for the two days of the festival. The tall ship will also be doing sailings; tickets for these sailings will be on sale in the coming weeks.
And don’t forget Summer Entertainment, live music in The Bandstand in Ward Park every Sunday in July and August. A wonderful opportunity to relax, with a picnic and listen to some fabulous live music, in the beautiful surroundings of Ward Park. These free events run from 3 – 5pm each Sunday.
This is just a taster of what’s coming up over the summer, please check out the Ards and North Down Events Guide or www.northdowntourism.com for more information on these events and other events coming up in 2015!