Stendhal Festival is Northern Ireland’s biggest and best grass-roots music and arts festival.

With over 100 performances from the likes of Ash, The Magic Numbers, Sharon Shannon and Lisa McHugh taking place over August 11 and 12 at Ballymully Cottage Farm, Limavady, there is certainly plenty of musical variety but did you know that the festival also has a dedicated family programme that caters to children and families of all ages?

Such is the focus on the family aspect of the festival, Stendhal has won awards naming it Ireland’s Best Family Festival over the years and organisers of the event are keen to improve the family and children’s entertainment offerings each and every year.

This year families can enjoy; Drumming Workshops, Storytelling,  puppet shows, dance workshops, mini boat making workshops, clay modelling, bush craft workshops, arts and craft workshops, laughing yoga, a sensory tent,  Circus skills performances, big bubble making and loads more.

Organiser Ross Parkhill explained: “The family element to the festival is hugely important for us. We want to provide an incredibly safe space for youngsters to not only enjoy the specific entertainment put on for them, but to also discover a wider world of music and the arts.

“We believe that introducing children to the arts at a young age can help sow the seeds of innovation in future generations and it’s always great to see families enjoying the event, that’s why our family ticket is priced in such a way as to make Stendhal a really affordable option for families.”

The family programme this year will include two dedicated family tents, one for creative workshops and one for performances, while there will also be family themed acts taking to the other stages around the festival site as well.

One of the family tents, the Discovery play tent, is brought to you by The Dry Arch Children’s Centre, a Limavady based day care facility which this year is celebrating its 20^th anniversary.

Stephen Lowry of the centre spoke of how proud they were to be coming back to Stendhal.

“The Dry Arch Children’s Centre is really excited to be part of the Stendhal Festival this year for the second time to add our very own spin to the family experience,” he said.

“Our ‘Discovery Play Tent’ will be bigger and better this year and will have loads of fun play activities for young children; encouraging them to learn through play; creating, investigating, exploring and most importantly have fun.”

He added:  “The Dry Arch Children’s Centre is proudly celebrating its 20th anniversary supporting families. Some of our day-to-day activities include day care, SureStart programmes, youth and family support services and community events. We have a lot more information on what we do and what’s on at the Dry Arch on our website www.dryarchcentre.org”

For more information and tickets visit www.stendhalfestival.com  or the festivals social media platforms.

 

Ards and North Down Borough Council’s Music in the Park continues in Ward Park this Sunday 23^rd July with a performance from The Sabrejets.

The Sabrejets are known as Northern Ireland’s wildest rockin’ band who draw on influences from primal 50’s rock ‘n’ roll through to the likes of T. Rex and Thew New York Dolls. Their unique stripped down, revved up, two fisted brand of rockabilly has seen them tear apart venues throughout Ireland, Britain and Europe, sharing stages with the likes of Chuck Berry, Imelda May and Bo Diddley.

Grab your friends, family and a picnic blanket and head down to Ward Park to listen to great tunes on a Sunday afternoon between 3-5pm.

This is a FREE event.  Please note that Ward Park is an alcohol-free zone. All events are weather dependent and therefore subject to change. This year’s music programme is in association with Open House Festival.

 

Lookout 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 visitardsandnorthdown.com

 

Photo caption: Rock ‘n’ Roll in The Park this Sunday 3-5pm

Whether you are a regular visitor or a first-time day tripper, the National Trust and the Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council have teamed up to offer you the inside track into the Causeway Coast this summer with a hidden gems map as well as Hosts on the ground providing you with all the latest information.

 

The Causeway Coast Hosts will be in various locations including Portrush, Portstewart, Bushmills and Ballycastle for seven weeks from 7th July. As well as giving out the new pocket sized ‘Secrets of the Causeway Coast’ Map, they will have the ability to give up-to-the minute information about the award-winning Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland’s first World Heritage site and the neighbouring Rope Bridge about parking spaces and availability.

 

Commenting on the summer activity Eleanor Rafferty-Killough, Duty Operations Manager for Learning & Visitor Experience, National Trust, said, “We are now in the middle of another busy summer and we want to provide visitors with as much information as possible to allow them to plan and maximise their time. The Causeway Coast hosts will be aware of how busy the Giant’s Causeway and Carrick–a–Rede are on any given day and will be able to brief visitors on the timed ticket process at Carrick–a–Rede as well as suggesting alternative attractions to visit along the coast using the new Secrets of the Causeway Map.

 

“The great thing about discovering the secrets of the Causeway Coast is that visitors are helping us look after these special places for years to come. We look after over 100 miles of Northern Ireland’s coastline and we are encouraging people over the summer to share their stories and hidden gems with us using #causewaysecrets”

 

Speaking about the partnership The Mayor, Councillor Joan Baird OBE from Causeway Coast & Glens Council, said, “The Council and the National Trust own and manage significant stretches of the areas coastline. Often visitors are drawn to the honey pots of activity and this initiative will not only assist visitors with the major areas of interest on the Causeway Coastal Route, but signpost visitors to the less well known gems to see in our area.”

 

 

To find out more about the National Trust visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ni and to vote for the Giant’s Causeway site as the UK’s Best Heritage Attraction in the British Travel Awards please visit www.bit.ly/causewaybta17

What do an outdoor heated swimming pool, a 4 star hotel and Kilkeel Harbour all have in common? They are all venues for Strand Arts Centre’s summer cinema programme!

 

In addition to welcoming audiences through the doors of its busy venue in East Belfast, staff from the Strand are also packing their buckets and spades to entertain the crowds who like to be beside the seaside in Newcastle, County Down over the next few weeks.

Strand Arts Centre is teaming up with Newcastle Community Cinema and Northern Ireland Screen’s Digital Film Archive to screen four special cinematic events as part of BFI Britain on Film: Coast and Sea. Comprising archive footage, screenings and events celebrating the UK’s coastal and maritime heritage, the BFI Film Audience Network project is funded by the National Lottery.

 

The ballroom of the Slieve Donard Hotel is the perfect backdrop for a screening of Roald Dahl’s classic family film, The Witches (30th July). Starring Anjelica Huston, the film is set in a hotel that is hosting a convention of witches. Kids are encouraged to dress up as a witch (or a mouse) and the event begins with a mask-making workshop run by Down Community Arts followed by a chocolate mice hunt in the hotel!

 

Later that evening, things turn even darker (over 15s only) with the British comedy Hotel Splendide. Daniel Craig stars as a chef trying to revitalise his family’s dark and dreary spa hotel.

 

Dress up in your best vintage wears and buy a special themed cocktail to watch the film inside the hotel it was shot in!  The screening will be preceded by archive footage of Gloria Hunniford performing in the ballroom.

 

For those who like to get their hair wet, you can enjoy a film and a swim! Kids will have a swim in the heated Tropicana outdoor pool, followed by screening of Song of the Sea (13th August) inside the Newcastle centre. The film tells the story of two young children who journey to the sea on an adventure to free the fairies and save the spirit world. Sandwiches will be provided for the children and tea and coffee for adults.

 

Oscar-nominated for Best Animated Feature in 2009, The Secret of Kells will screen in September as part of the Kilkeel Prawn Festival.

 

This family friendly, Viking themed event will have a screening of The Secret of Kells created by Kilkenny-based company Cartoon Saloon, plus arts and crafts, face painting and even some real Vikings! Dressing up is encouraged. The screening will be preceded by archive footage of Vikings landing in Kilkeel Harbour.

 

Johanna Leech, Programme Manager for Strand Arts Centre said:

 

“We’re delighted to be working with Newcastle Community Cinema and Northern Ireland Screen on this project to engage with people in non-traditional cinema locations this summer. It’s all part of a major initiative developed by BFI Film Audience Network (FAN) to boost film audiences across the UK, and fits with the Strand Arts Centre’s aim of delivering a diverse programme of creative and cultural activity.

 

“The events are going to be great fun, in locations that complement the choice of film, and with amazing archive footage of Northern Ireland’s coastal heritage. It’s also the perfect excuse to dress as a witch or a Viking without attracting funny looks!”

 

So, if you fancy dipping your toes in some cinema by the seaside, find out more at strandartscentre.com, book tickets via newcastlecinema.org  and begin your search of over 100 years of archive footage in Northern Ireland at digitalfilmarchive.net.

Ireland’s oldest fair returns to Ballycastle on August 28^th and 29^th.

The Auld Lammas Fair has been held in the seaside town for hundreds of years and continues to attract thousands of people thanks to its truly unique atmosphere and visitor experience. This year’s Fair will be officially launched with a spectacular seafront fireworks display organised by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council on Sunday night (August 27^th). This new addition to the programme will provide a memorable opening to the much-loved event.

Famous for its delicacies of dulse, a dried edible seaweed, and Yellowman, a sticky sweet treat, both products will be widely available among the hundreds of stalls which stretch from Castle Street right through to the seafront.  The seaweed is collected from the shoreline before being dried and prepared for sale, and its unique sea salt taste is loved by many. Yellowman is a unique product of the fair, whose recipe is guarded closely by those who make it.

Traditionally held on the last Monday and Tuesday in August, the Fair’s sights and sounds make it a must-see experience. And as the build-up to the two-day experience continues to grow, the main event will be preceded by a packed weekend of activities and attractions.

The Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Councillor Joan Baird OBE said: “The Auld Lammas Fair holds a very special place in the hearts of many people in Ballycastle, and it is part of the fabric of the town. Between now and the end of the August I’m sure we will all hear someone say ‘”I’ll see you at the Fair”. It’s a place for family and friends to catch-up, swap stories and simply enjoy the fabulous spectacle. As a Council we are committed to its on-going development, and I’m looking forward to enjoying this year’s event.”

Alongside the market stalls, streets will come alive with the sounds of musical entertainers and buskers. In Fairhill Street, there’ll be an enhanced agricultural experience, including the traditional horse trading area which the Fair is renowned for. Quay Road playing fields and part of the seafront will be transformed into an amusement zone with thrill-seeking rides suitable for all the family, including the landmark vintage-style Big Wheel. There’ll be plenty of entertainment on the festival stage, with Irish dancing and traditional music.

This year, the Naturally North Coast and Glens Artisan Market will be open for business for three days at the seafront – Sunday 27^th August and both fair days. It will showcase the very best of our growing local produce sector, selling a wide variety of local arts, food and craft. On Saturday 26^th August, the traditional heavy horse show will be held in Sheskburn Car Park, followed by a parade through the town centre. The organisers are looking forward to welcoming entrants from near and far, who enjoy the opportunity to show their beautiful horses to a new audience. In the afternoon, look out for the vintage car and tractor parade, which will leave from Dalriada Hospital at 3.30pm.

For more information about this year’s Auld Lammas Fair go to www.visitcausewaycoastandglens.gov.uk and to keep up to date with latest details follow Causeway Coast and Glens Events on Facebook.

The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland’s Portrush Flyer steam train will be offering holidaymakers and daytrippers the opportunity to travel on a unique and stylish excursion to Portrush on Sundays 30^th July, 6^th, 13^th, 20^th and 27^th August.

Passengers on The Portrush Flyer will travel in vintage carriages from the 1960’s and 1970’s behind the beautifully restored, 103-ton, blue locomotive, “Merlin”.   Merlin is no stranger to the railway line from Belfast to the north coast and even hauled a train carrying the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh last year on their way to re-open Bellarena station on the railway line to Londonderry.

Railway Preservation Society of Ireland Operations Officer Mervyn Darragh commented “We are pleased to be able to share our wonderful steam train The Portrush Flyer again.  These annual trains are the high point of a great year for our Society, following the completion of our new Museum at our depot at Whitehead.  The Flyer will start from the RPSI depot at Whitehead Excursion Station, picking up at Carrickfergus and Belfast Central en-route to Portrush and we love to see the passengers on the train waving at the holidaymakers on the beach as we weave along the coast for our arrival at leave Portrush.

“Our volunteers have now restored three mainline steam locomotives to active service and are preparing one of them, our largest, Merlin for Portrush action.

“Each train will offer passengers travel in lovingly restored carriages, the opportunity for children (and more nostalgic adults) to get close to the steam engine and talk to the driver and fireman (if he has the energy after shovelling up to 4.5 tons of coal into the fire), and a relaxing journey through city suburbs, leafy countryside and North Atlantic seascapes to Portrush and back.  We’ll be operating this train on Sundays 30^th July, 6^th, 13^th, 20^th and 27^th August.

“We always enjoy helping the public and especially children get closer to the industrial heritage we maintain.  A steam train just oozes atmosphere and we would especially appreciate the public sending us drawings, notes or poems about their day out on the steam train for posting on our website.”

The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland is a charitable not-for-profit organisation and has it’s main workshops at Whitehead in County Antrim.  Restoration and preparation of the trains is entirely managed by and, largely carried out by, volunteers.

The Portrush Flyer departs Belfast Central at 1130 sharp.   Return tickets to Portrush cost £22 Adult, £15 Child and £66 Family (2 adults and 2 children).  Tickets can be purchased in advance by telephone or call-and-collect from Belfast Welcome Centre, tel 028 9024 6609 or online from www.steamtrainsireland.com.

Last chance to get your tickets!

 

The Navan Centre & Fort’s annual celebration of the ancient Celtic sun god Lugh takes place on Saturday 5^th August from 6.00pm.  This spectacular Wickerman Gathering celebrates with music from the fabulous HatchJaw, the amazing Trad Folk Experience and the outstanding Fireside Folk. Enjoy performances by the Armagh Rhymers.  The ever-popular ceili dancing will get your feet tapping, don’t worry about not knowing the steps – we will even teach you a few moves!

Visit the encampment to see how the Celts would have prepared for the burning of the Wickerman.  See the traditions of the time and get a greater understanding of the customs associated with this festival such as the technique of Casting of the Fews!

Take part in some wellness meditation, see our Birds of Prey, enjoy some Henna & traditional face-painting and be amazed by our fire dancers!  Browse our crafts stalls packed full of unusual crafts with a Celtic theme.

Of course don’t forget we will have our Wickerman towering above the audience, ready for the fire ceremony.

Booking in advance essential on www.armagh.co.uk/wickerman No tickets are available on the evening.

 

For further information contact Navan Centre & Fort, 81 Killylea Road, Armagh  BT60 4LD Tel + (0) 44 2837 529644 navan@armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk

 

Friday 21 July – Thursday 27 July

 

Saturday 22 July, Kids Nature Trail

Castle Park, Bangor    

10.30am-12.30pm | £2.50

Join this fascinating interactive nature trail led by Patrick Cregg from the Woodland Trust and bird expert Dot Blakely

028 9127 0069 | visitardsandnorthdown.com

 

Saturday 22 July, Family fun at Portaferry Visitor Information Centre

The Stables, Castle Street, Portaferry

2pm – 4pm  | Free

Bring the little ones along to Portaferry VIC for free family entertainment every Saturday in July

Sat 22:  Animal Roadshow and Face Painting

T:  028 9182 6846 | visitardsandnorthdown.com

 

Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 July, Family Fun at Cockle Row Cottages

Cockle Row Cottages, Groomsport Harbour

2pm – 4pm  | Free

Come along to Groomsport for free family fun every weekend from now until September

Sat 22: CSI Workshop and Children’s Crafts
Sun 23:Jumping Clay Workshop, Balloon Modelling and Ulster-Scots Agency Entertainment

Cottages open 11am – 5pm

T:  028 9127 0069 | visitardsandnorthdown.com

 

Sunday 23 July, Summer Music in the Park

Ward Park, Bangor

3pm – 5pm | Free

Join us for live music every Sunday in July and August. This week see Northern Ireland’s wildest rockin’ band The Sabrejets

T:  028 9127 0069 | visitardsandnorthdown.com

Thursday 27 July, Newtownards Historical Walking Tour

Town Area

7pm – 8.30pm | £4

Situated at the northern end of Strangford Lough, Newtownards has a wealth of historical treasures waiting to be discovered

T:  028 9182 6846 | visitardsandnorthdown.com

 

Friday 28 July – Thursday 3 August

 

Friday 28 July, Lough Lively Sessions – Runabay

Portico, Steel Dickson Avenue, Portaferry

7.30pm | Tickets £10

Join us in Portaferry for our Lough Lively sessions, where music comes to life. This week you can see Runabay, six musicians from the Glens of Antrim who through their passion for harmony and melody have been writing and recording since 2013.

T:  028 9182 6846 | visitardsandnorthdown.com

 

Saturday 29 July, Family fun at Portaferry Visitor Information Centre

The Stables, Castle Street, Portaferry

2pm – 4pm  | Free

Bring the little ones along to Portaferry VIC for free family entertainment every Saturday in July

Sat 29:  Science Workshop and Balloon Modelling

T:  028 9182 6846 | visitardsandnorthdown.com

 

Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 July, Family Fun at Cockle Row Cottages

Cockle Row Cottages, Groomsport Harbour

2pm – 4pm | Free

Come along to Groomsport for free family fun every weekend from now until September.

Sat 29: Magic Tricks (Limited Numbers) Crafts
Sun 30: Plant and Play – Fairy Garden, Glitter Tattoos and Ulster-Scots Agency Entertainment

Cottages open 11am – 5pm

T:  028 9127 0069 | visitardsandnorthdown.com

 

Sunday 30 July, Summer Music in the Park

Ward Park, Bangor

3pm – 5pm | Free

Join us for live music every Sunday in July and August. On Sunday 30^th, celebrate the last day of the Fleadh with Musicians from Ards and North Down Comhaltás

T:  028 9127 0069 | visitardsandnorthdown.com

 

Exhibitions

 

Portaferry Visitor Information Centre

The Stables, Castle Street, BT22 1NZ

T: 028 4272 9882

 

Saturday 1 – Sunday 30 July

Art in the Loft: ‘The Trains Don’t Stop Here Anymore’

Robert JE Simpson presents a collection of images centred around abandoned railways of Northern Ireland

 

North Down Museum, Bangor

Castle Park Avenue, located by Bangor Castle (Town Hall), BT20 4BT

T: 028 9127 1200 | northdownmuseum.com

 

Until Thursday 27 July

Fleadh Exhibition

Explore the history and culture of Irish Traditional Music and Dance in the local area.

Ards Crafts and Visitor Information Centre

31 Regent Street, Newtownards, BT23 4AD

T: 028 9182 6846

 

Saturday 1 – Saturday 29 July

Tower Houses of Strangford Lough

An exhibition showcasing late medieval tower houses