Tourism NI has put together a list of 10 exciting things to do in Northern Ireland next week (August 24 – 30).
Belfast Mela, Botanic Gardens, Belfast, August 30. Round off your summer at this magnificent celebration of music, dance, food and fashion from all over the world. Savour the sights and sounds from across the globe with thousands of others at this unique and colourful event in the beautiful setting of Belfast’s Botanic Gardens.
- Carnival of Colours, St. Columb’s Park, Derry, Co. Londonderry, August 29-30. In Your Space Circus return to Columb’s Park with their flagship festival, the Carnival of Colours this bank holiday weekend. Festivalgoers of all ages can enjoy a wide variety of international street theatre, local acts and shows by some of the world’s funniest circus performers, with belly laughs guaranteed!
- A Night of Americana, Alley Theatre, Strabane, Co. Tyrone, August 29. Jack Grelle is a country, folk and honky tonk songwriter from Missouri who sings his personal stories of the road and people he has met along the way, and Ags Connolly is a country singer-songwriter hailing from Oxfordshire who has been described as “the closest we’ve ever come to an English Willie Nelson.” Both will be performing at this great night of southern Americana music.
- Van Morrison Walking Tour, starting at Eastside Visitor Centre, East Belfast, Belfast, August 27-29. In the days before his 70th birthday, take this opportunity to visit some of the places in the East Belfast of his youth, guided by Lynn Corken. Tickets cost £5 and are available from the Visit Belfast welcome centre.
- 2nd Annual Newry City Blues Festival, Various Locations, Newry, Co. Down, August 27-31. A number of Newry City bars and restaurants will play host to a host of top class blues and jazz musicians both international and local. Artists include The Bluez Katz, Allison McGrath and Cold Porter, while special spicy food menus will be available throughout the big blistering blues festival weekend.
- Dunluce Castle Artisan Food and Craft Market, Dunluce Castle, Bushmills, Co. Antrim, August 29. Naturally North Coast bring their Artisan Food and Craft Market to this iconic setting from 11am – 4pm on Saturday 29th August. Come along to explore, discover new flavours, stumble upon artistic talent, and savour a uniquely vibrant atmosphere.
- River To Lough Festival, Eel Fishery, Tombe, Co. Londonderry, August 29. Come and sample world famous Lough Neagh eel, while fishermen tell stories of the history and heritage of the Lough. Award-winning food writer and television presenter James McIntosh will be giving cookery demonstrations, and there will be live music to be enjoyed throughout the day.
- The Auld Lammas Fair 2015, Ballycastle, Co. Antrim, August 24-25. Thousands of people will be descending on the beautiful seaside town of Ballycastle for Ireland’s oldest traditional market fair. The present day fair includes a wide array of market stalls and street entertainment, with two days of trading, bargaining, busking and amusements all contributing to the great atmosphere.
- Famine Wall Walk, Crossmaglen Community Centre, Crossmaglen, Co. Armagh, August 30. Join Seamus Murphy, a knowledgeable and experienced hill walker for a guided hill walk and exploration of local history on Slieve Gullion Mountain to visit and learn about the infamous Famine Walls.
- Rock Detective Club, Marble Arch Caves, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, August 26. An exciting expedition for 4-12 year-olds, who can take part in a treasure hunt or try their hand at orienteering, whilst finding out about the array of plants, many of which have existed for millions of years.
Please note some of the events require pre-booking. For more details on these and other events click on www.discovernorthernireland.com/events, visit your local tourist information centre or log onto www.facebook.com/discovernorthernireland.