Cornucopia of food and drink at Hillsborough festival

When the gates open at this year’s Sunflowerfest visitors can expect more than just a feast of music to enjoy – festival goers will now have a cornucopia of food and drink to tickle the taste buds. To celebrate the NI year of Food and Drink, Sunflowerfest  organisers will tantalise festival goer’s senses through cookery demonstrations, tastings, talks and workshops.

Sunflowerfest takes place at Tubby’s Farm, Hillsborough, from 5^th – 7^th August and will feature a packed music line-up of 150 acts across six stages, including The Strypes, Le Galaxie, Emerald Armada and Trucker Diablo.

The new attraction of the NI Year of Food & Drink Tent in the Sunflowerfest village will also add to the family friendly feel of this superb festival, which is growing in popularity each and every year.

Foodies will have the chance to see chefs prepare dishes using local produce including locally sourced meat, in keeping with the theme for August Love NI Meat; they can participate in foraging tours for a plot to plate experience, taste craft beers and ciders or take part in baking workshops utilising Tubby’s very own brick oven to bake breads and pizzas. The children – our little Sunflowers – can join in the pizza making workshops and get stuck into growing, creating, crafting and learning.

There will be Vikings too this year at Sunflowerfest, as the Magnus Viking Association will be setting up camp and demonstrating traditional crafts and skills and battle re-enactments for all ages.

Vanessa Magowan, of Sunflowerfest said everyone is excited by this addition to the festival: “The festival is renowned for its music, art, poetry and family-friendly atmosphere, and now there will be so much more with our association with the Year of Food and Drink NI.  It means everyone can enjoy new tastes, try new things and learn new skills.

“From coffee and tea brewing, through to Vegan talks and gluten free produce; cooking demonstrations with locally sourced meat by the team from South Eastern Regional College and a visit to the Community garden on Tubby’s Farm there is something to suit all tastes!”

Tickets for Sunflowerfest are now available from www.sunflowerfest.co.uk, with a range of options including family deals, weekend passes and day tickets. Don’t hesitate to escape to Tubby’s Farm this summer to grab some music, poetry and fantastic local food!

EastSide Arts Festival 2016 will bring 11 days of inspiring events to Belfast from 10^th – 21st August. The festival programme is packed with 100 events including music, comedy, movies, theatre, talks, workshops, visual art, exhibitions, poetry, events for the young and old, community events and heritage tours plus over 50 free events.

Among this year’s musical highlights are two headline concerts- Nick Lowe and Anúna. You can also check out the Kaz Hawkins Band with their unique take on the blues, or renowned saxophonist Keith Donald. For younger audiences there’s The Late Twos with support from Petty Youth.  The fantastic Woodstock Rhythm & Blues Festival opens the Festival this year featuring Amanda St John, Anthony Toner, Ken Haddock, Ronnie Greer and Rab McCullough amongst others.

The Festival will host a wide range of readings, film screenings and poetry. Iconic films will be screened at Strand Arts Centre including Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Big Lebowski and Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet.  For fans of written and spoken word, treats include a special Page to Stage event with Lucy Caldwell and Rosemary Jenkinson, a Literary Supper Club at The Lamppost Café and a bus tour with poet, Alice McCullough.

Be inspired by the fantastic range of theatre this year. To mark the Somme anniversary local actors Sam and Joan McCready, along with a brass quintet from the Ulster Orchestra, present Letters From The Front- a selection of poems and letters giving accounts of this harrowing time.  Also featured is The Prodger – a story about a Catholic Irishman who fought at the Somme.

Looking for some comedy? Then look no further than Neil Dougan’s Heretics’ and Head the Balls – a funny look back at 500 yrs of Protestant Culture, or 1916 Tim McGarry Goes Over The Top –a brand new stand-up show about the history of 1916 Easter Rising and the Battle of the Somme, with Tim’s usual take on things!

This year’s festival is also jam packed with workshops and community events, talks and tours, visual art and much more. Check out the full programme at www.eastsidearts.net

Tourism NI has put together a list of 10 exciting things to do in Northern Ireland next week (July 18 – 24).

• Dalriada Festival, Glenarm Castle, Co. Antrim, July 18 – 23. Enjoy one of Northern Ireland’s biggest cultural family events. The festival has something for everyone from Highland Games, Fine Foods, Celebrity Chef demonstrations, arts and crafts, live music and children’s entertainment. www.dalriadafestival.co.uk

• Rose Week, Sir Thomas & Lady Dixon Park, Belfast, July 18 – 24. The international rose garden at Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park is one of the world’s leading rose gardens attracting thousands of visitors each year. Rose Week, with its full programme of activities is a celebration of this spectacular rose garden and is now one of Belfast’s most popular annual events.

• Ulster Fleadh, Various locations, Bangor, Co. Down, until July 24. With an impressive combination of literary events, workshops, street entertainment, dancing and singing, this year’s Ulster Fleadh is not to be missed! Throughout the festival there will be performances from Beoga, The Sands Family and many more. Everyone is invited to enjoy the craic as well as the countless family amenities Bangor has to offer!

• Foyle Cup, Various locations, Co. Derry~Londonderry, July 18 – 24. Join almost 3000 footballers in Derry City and surrounding areas this month and participate in Ireland’s premier festival of football Camaraderie, friendly rivalry and superb hospitality from the local population will make your visit to the 2016 tournament one to remember.

• Hats off to the Hill, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, July 22. Celebrate the beauty of Enniskillen’s Victorian park, The Forthill, overlooking the picturesque island town. With music from the Bandstand, face painting, balloon modelling, animal handling, butterfly & biodiversity trails and a show by Jo-Jingles, the whole family will enjoy this free day out.

• The Whistlin’ Donkeys Live, Alley Theatre, Co. Tyrone, July 22. An extravaganza of traditional Irish rock/folk music with Ireland’s best loved and home grown folk rock band – The Whistlin’ Donkeys. Throughout the evening the Donkeys will perform some of their tops hits and for the first time play a number of tracks from their forthcoming album. Tickets £15. To book call (028) 71 384444.

• Food and Drink Exhibition, Armagh Public Library, Co. Armagh, until Aug 6. To coincide with the NI Year of Food and Drink 2016, Armagh Public Library has launched a temporary exhibition exploring the history of food and drink and its cultural importance. The exhibition highlights what the Armagh Public Library holds on eighteenth century food and drink in Ireland, from production to consumption.

• Dine around Deanes at the Races, Belfast, July 22. Place your bets on a great day out and join a culinary experience you won’t forget. Your day will begin with a glass of bubbles on arrival at Deanes Meat Locker, followed by a two-course lunch before you are transported to Down Royal for an afternoon of racing.  Return to Deans Love & Fish and finish the evening with Fish and Chips. Cost £50.  To book call (028) 90 329080.

• Carrowmena Summer Camp, Carrowmena Activity Centre, Co. Derry~Londonderry, July 18 – 22. Do your kids want to have the best summer ever? Carrowmena’s annual 5 Day Summer Camp for all 8 – 17 year olds promises action packed activities form zip line to canoeing to archery to orienteering. Booking essential. To book call (028) 777 63431.

• Butterfly Safari, Portstewart Strand, Co. Derry~Londonderry, July 23. Join the National Trust Rangers on the hunt to catch and identify the dunes’ fluttering residents. The sand dunes are always full of adventure, but this safari is a timely one as it is butterfly and moth season, so the kids will have a ball. 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.

The world’s greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes, accompanied by his dear friend Dr. Watson, will wow you with his fabulous powers of observation and logical reasoning when he descends on Solitude Park, Banbridge on Thursday 28 July 2016 at 7.30pm to solve the mystery of why a phantom beast is stalking the Baskerville estate.

This thrilling performance by Chapterhouse Theatre Company of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s best known crime novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles, will have you gripped as the story unravels to reveal if Sir Charles Baskerville has indeed been killed by a ghostly hound believed to haunt his family because of an age-old curse.

Holmes and Watson are introduced to the case by Dr. Mortimer, a friend of Sir Charles Baskerville, who found a paw print near Sir Charles’s corpse. He is worried that there may be some truth to the superstitious legend, which is detailed in an old manuscript, and thus approaches Holmes in the hope that the detective can protect Sir Henry, who is soon to arrive to claim the family estate and fortune.

Will Holmes and Watson solve the case before Sir Henry suffers the same fate as Sir Charles or will the phantom beast, which roams the mist-enshrouded moors around the isolated Baskerville Hall on Dartmoor, claim the life of another member of the Baskerville family?

Families are welcome to come along to this free outdoor performance and enjoy an unforgettable evening of mystery, suspense and theatre.

The Millennium Forum has just announced its new season of events taking us into the Autumn/Winter of 2016. The Sept-Dec 2016 season will open for bookings @ 9am on Thurs 14^th July.

The season opens with acclaimed Irish folk favourite CHRISTY MOORE for two nights on 2nd and 3rd September.  Music is a central part of the Millennium Forum programme and local fans can look forward to hearing PETER CORRY when he returns after a long break with the much loved MASTERS OF THE MUSICALS in October.  Legendary crooner TONY CHRISTIE, (famous for ‘Amarillo’ and ‘Avenue and Alleyways’) arrives for his debut here in November.  In the same month, Derry’s own THE UNDERTONES celebrate their 40^th anniversary as a band with what is sure to be an unforgettable night in their home city.

Also featuring this season are FOSTER AND ALLEN, NATHAN CARTER and THE FUREYS.  For something different, why not enjoy an evening of Mozart Masterpieces with the MAGICAL MOZART BY CANDLELIGHT.   This season, a wide range of the best in stand-up comedy is on offer by SEAN LOCK who returns with his new show in October, while host of ‘Live At The Apollo’, HAL CRUTTENDEN, debuts on the Forum stage in the same month.  Internationally acclaimed, JIMEOIN, is back in November while Channel 4 favourite, JIMMY CARR makes a welcome return for what is sure to be another sell-out show.  Comedy newcomer, ROMESH RANGANATHAN, joins us in December.

The Force is with us when an all new INVASION DERRY returns for another weekend of fantastic photo opportunities for Star Wars fans in September.

The first ever touring production of CELTIC THE MUSICAL arrives in the cityside venue this season.  This is the story of a world famous sporting institution, a people’s club, and showcases a musical history of Celtic Football Club. The UK Tour of BLOOD BROTHERS stops off at the Forum for one week in October.  Written  by Willy Russell, and featuring a superb score, the legendary BLOOD BROTHERS tells the captivating and moving tale of twins who, separated at birth, grow up on opposite sides of the tracks, only to meet again with fateful consequences.

International multi-award winning singer Tommy Fleming takes to the stage for his first major acting role in the hit drama/musical PADDY, which returns by popular demand.  There is local drama with the return of the well-known PACKIE’S WAKE; there are two new plays by local playwrights, Jonathan Burgess’ DIVIDED BY HISTORY UNITED BY MUSIC and Brian Foster’s WHEN THE BOGSIDE SPINSTER MET THE CARNDONAGH STUD.

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without the Millennium Forum pantomime and this year’s CINDERELLA is shaping up to be the biggest and best!  There is a stellar cast, a fabulous script, an amazing set and even more special effects.  It’s fun for all the family from aged 4 – 94!

The full programme of events is now available to download from the Millennium Forum website at www.millenniumforum.co.uk

The new Sept-Dec season of events is open for bookings from 9am on Thursday 14^th July. Telephone the Box Office on 71 264455 or visit www.millenniumforum.co.uk for tickets.

The 29^th John Hewitt International Summer School is making a welcome return to The Market Place Theatre in Armagh from Monday 25^th until Saturday 29^th July, extended for the first time to six days.

This year’s celebration of culture and creativity will feature talks, readings, theatre, performances, discussions and workshops from well-known writers, performers and esteemed speakers from across the UK, Ireland and beyond. The theme is ‘A Role in History: the Rising, the Great War and a Shared Past’, and will look at the influences – cultural, political, economic and historical which led both men and women, Nationalist and Unionist, to choose various ‘roles’ in 1912, 1914, 1916 and consider the factors old and new on those who have enlisted in numerous conflicts since then. The summer school aims to explore how historical narrative, media, culture, literature and the arts have kept the record straight, or have been harnessed to politically and culturally divisive ends.

Key events in the Summer School programme include a poetry reading with Sinead Morrissey who is a central figure in contemporary Irish poetry, music from Duke Special, one of our most significant musical talents, a World War 1 musical | story from celebrated storyteller Liz Weir and acclaimed fiddle player Ciaran Mulholland, a performance with one of the most important Irish traditional musicians of the last fifty years, Martin Hayes, as well as a rare opportunity to hear one of Ireland’s finest and most cherished poets, Paul Durcan.

The full programme is available to view online at www.johnhewittsociety.org

Tickets for all performances can be booked through the Box Office on [028] 3752 1821, or online at www.marketplacearmagh.com And to keep up-to-date with the latest news at the Market Place Theatre, you can follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/marketplacearmagh) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/mptarmagh) where you will find all the latest information, special offers and video previews.

The Hastings Group has invested almost £1m refreshing Belfast’s premiere city centre hotel, the Europa Hotel, as part of an ongoing programme of internal and external upgrades.

Visitors to the hotel will see one of the changes immediately, explained Julie Hastings, Marketing Director, Hastings Hotels.

“The Europa Hotel has a new grand entrance with an enlarged revolving door and as visitors arrive they will be greeted by a stunning chandelier.  The Piano Restaurant has a new integral bar and the Lobby Bar has been totally transformed as well.  The Causerie restaurant and Piano Lounge have also been upgraded and refreshed.  The hotel looks glorious and we are looking forward to the feedback on our new facilities from our guests around the world and those closer to home”, said Julie.

Julie continued:  “Whilst we have enlarged the Europa Hotel by 50% since we acquired it in 1994, we never really felt that we had given the hotel the sense of arrival that it deserves, as the premier City Centre Hotel in Belfast. This new development gives us that initial wow-factor, and our customer response to the changes we have made has been extremely positive. Visitors love taking their selfies at our new front door, and we are delighted to have completed all our work in time for the busy season ahead.”

The hotel also added a number of internal upgrades as part of the upgrade programme.

“Over half of our investment figure was used to upgrade parts of the hotel that will probably never be seen by members of the public”, said Julie.  “But we know that they will certainly benefit from them in terms of an enhanced customer experience whether they are having a meal, afternoon tea, popping in for a glass of wine, attending an event or staying over.

“Our investment in the Europa Hotel has been driven by our commitment to providing our visitors and guests with a unique hospitality experience, one which they will want to enjoy time and again”, concluded Julie.

Ards and North Down Borough Council’s Music In The Park Programme continues in Ward Park this Sunday, July 17 with a performance from Les Petits Hardchargers.

Les Petits Hardchargers are a duo featuring Chris Todd and Richard Hodgen, playing Delta blues to psychedelia as well as pre-war Hill Country blues, as favoured by the one and only Seasick Steve.

So if you’d like to enjoy some quality live music in the great outdoors, get down to Ward Park this Sunday from 3pm to 5pm.

Please note that Ward Park is an alcohol-free zone. All events are weather dependent and therefore subject to change.

Keep an eye out in local press each week for details on each artist or for more information phone Bangor Visitor Information Centre on 028 9127 0069 or visit:

www.visitardsandnorthdown.com

A collective exhibition of work by Project 24 Artists and Makers is currently on show at the Flax Gallery at Mossley Mill.

‘Phases’ is an exciting collection of diverse artwork, created by Artists who have had their studios in these innovative Art Pods on Queens Parade in Bangor over the last four years. Heather Parker, Craft Development Manager with Ards and North Down Borough Council commented, “We are delighted to have this opportunity at the Flax Gallery to showcase the talents of Artists and Makers who are both current and past residents of the Art Pod studios at Project 24.  Project 24 on Queens Parade in Bangor is an award winning initiative and the Pods are providing much needed studio space for many young and upcoming Artists.

We welcome everyone to Project 24 and would encourage you to visit the exhibition which is on show at The Flax Gallery, Mossley Mill until Saturday 30 July.  Admission to the gallery is free and opening hours are Monday to Wednesday 10am – 5pm, Thursday 10am – 9pm, Friday 10am – 4pm and Saturday 11am – 4pm.