The Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) has put together a list of 10 exciting things to do in Northern Ireland over the next week (June 30-July 6).

• Larne Giro d’Italia Bicycle Art Parade, Larne, Co. Antrim, until June 30. Continuing the celebrations of the Giro d’Italia, 20 fantastic bicycle sculptures have been decorated by some of the finest local artists which are on display across the town.

• The Jungle Book, Enniskillen Castle, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, July 2. Enjoy a picnic with friends and family and watch the new adaptation of the classic novel, performed in the grounds of Enniskillen Castle in an open-air venue for an evening of entertainment under the stars.

• 174^th Annual Omagh Show, The Showgrounds, Omagh, Co. Tyrone, July 4-5. This annual show includes horse and pony showing classes, a donkey derby, pig racing as well as entertainment and food stalls.

• Johnny Cash Tribute Concert, Crumlin Road Gaol, Belfast, July 4-5. Crumlin Road Gaol celebrates the music of one of America’s greatest music performers in a unique and authentic show, capturing the unmistakable sound of the ‘man in black’.

• Tanglewood Music & Arts Festival, Narrow Water Castle, Co. Down, July 4-5. This festival will showcase the best artists and performers in a unique setting, with a craft beer festival on site plus lots of different performance areas to cater for everyone.

• Mussenden Festival, Castlerock, Co. Londonderry, July 4-6. The three day festival will celebrate the beginning of the holiday season with a full range of activities for all ages and tastes including top-class musicians, a variety of superb foods, family entertainment, sports, arts and learning experiences.

• F18 Sailing World Championships, Ballyholme Yacht Club, Bangor, Co. Down, July 4-11. Bangor is host to the prestigious F18 Catamaran World Championships which will see many world famous sailors take part in what is the largest two-person competitive multihull dinghy class in the world.

• Meet the Heroes and Legends, Armagh Planetarium, Co. Armagh, July 5-6. A great family event where you can meet and have your picture taken with some iconic costumed characters, see the amazing fan built sets and props from some of the biggest movies and television series including Dr Who and Star Trek.
• Cuilcagh Mountain Jeep Safari, Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark, Florencecourt, Co. Fermanagh, July 5-6.  Jump onboard one of the Geopark Landrovers and explore the stunning scenery of Cuilcagh Mountain Park.

• Pirates Of Portrush, Various, Portrush, Co. Antrim, July 6. A great family day out will see Pirates descend on Portrush with lots of themed activities for everyone from a treasure hunt to park run, music and a parade of pirates.

Down

Celebrate the summer at the Summer Garden Fete at Mountstewart this Saturday and Sunday.  Pick up some plants from visiting garden nurseries, tour the gardens at Mount Stewart with the garden experts, or settle back and enjoy the family entertainment.

Tyrone

The ever-fabulous Frock Around The Clock Vintage & Handmade Fair will be returning to the historical Lissan House, Cookstown on Sunday 29th June 2014 from 12-5pm. This event will feature around 40 fabulous sellers of quality vintage, handmade and upcycled fashion, jewellery, furniture, homewares & collectibles PLUS sweet treats, retro art and gifts, photography, a fantastic prize draw, and Much More! You can also relax and revive in the Vintage Tea Room located in the Victorian Dining Room and browse the second hand book shop. Admission costs £5.

Fermanagh

The Derrygonnelly Fun Day on Friday and Saturday will commence at 7.30pm with a Soap Box Derby in the village adjacent with a historical display in the Methodist Church, and followed by a BBQ and dance in Tir Navar on the Friday evening. On the Saturday there will be a Fun Day from 2pm to 5pm with a fancy dress parade, vintage rally, busking competition, and kids’ entertainment.

Derry

Even more than the Beatles, The Beach Boys found through their music the key to unfading youth—and they made copies for everyone. To these guys, the beach isn’t just a place where the surf comes to play—it’s where life is renewed and made whole again. The  Beach  boys last played Belfast  and Dublin   to sell out shows  and  this is their  first  time to  play outside the capital  cities and the only  UK /Irish  date in the mini tour  so  Derry will be full  of  summer sounds  on June  26th at Ebrington Square.

Armagh

See Steel Magnolias at the Market Place Theatre Saturday 28th June. Robert Harling’s quintessential story of friendship and trust, ‘Steel Magnolias’ serves up a southern slice of life that’s as warm and comforting as sweet potato pie! In the world of Truvy’s local-homegrown beauty salon, six very different women come together to share their secrets, fears and love for one another while engaging the audience in hysterical and neighbourly gossip. From weddings to divorces, babies to funerals, new beginnings to happy endings, they share each moment in their lives with grace, determination, and perfectly coiffed hair. When tragedy strikes, it is in the familiar comfort of Truvy’s salon where they seek the solace and support that carries them through.  Presented by one of Northern Ireland’s leading Amateur Theatre Groups.

Antrim

The Portush Regatta 28th – 29th June is a two day dinghy and cruiser racing programme organised by Coleraine Yacht Club in association with Coleraine Borough Council launching from The Harbour, Portrush.  Causeway Coast Maritime Heritage Group will be there with their racing curraghs. Take some time out to have a look at some maritime museum exhibits at The Harbour Office courtesy of Harbour Master, Robert Anderson.  The programme also features a RS Dinghy Association One Day Event on Sunday, 29th June.

Belfast

Get out the glad rags, dust off the straw boater – it’s Jazz time! Join the restored 1960s steam train at Belfast Central. Relax as you leave the city behind and enjoy the sounds of New Orleans jazz from the Apex Jazz Band as we pause at stations which could be anywhere on the Northern Ireland railway network.  On Friday 27th June and 4th July, steam trains depart Belfast Central station at 7.25pm and return to Belfast Central again at 11.40pm.  Tickets cost £27 each and are available from the Belfast Welcome Centre, 9 Donegall Square North, Belfast or online from www.steamtrainsireland.com/events.

For more details on these and other events across Northern Ireland, news and competitions see www.whatsonni.com, follow us @whatsonni and like us at fb.com/www.whatsonni. Add your  events FREE OF CHARGE at www.whatsonni.

The Navan Centre in Armagh has, once again something to shout about as the Centre has been chosen as the ni4Kids Visitor Attraction of the Year!

At a recent celebration ceremony in City Hall, Belfast, the Tourism Facilities Manager Grace Greer, proudly accepted the award on behalf of the Centre.

The Navan Centre & Fort offers visitors a unique appreciation of the history of the area through a stimulating exhibition packed full of information, artefacts and hands on activities.  Enjoy the myths and legends of the Ulster Cycle in the vibrant audio visual show.  Witness the Celtic Characters bring history to life in the Iron Age/Early Christian period dwelling with demonstrations of cooking, weaving, farming and much more. For kids, fun and laughter is guaranteed at the Navan Centre. Children can experience life as a Celt by dressing up in the Celtic  costumes, ‘Dig’ into the past in the archeo-pit, try their hand at some traditional Celtic activities, complete the trail to get a prize and make their very own badge to  remember their visit

Commenting on the recent accolade, Mrs Greer expressed her delight:-

‘This award is chosen by the public and reinforces for us the high levels of customer service the staff deliver day and daily to customers.  It gives us a great sense of achievement to know that the exhibition, our living history, our education product and, our innovative and outstanding events are perfectly meeting the needs of customers to the Centre.’

The Summer of 2014 has been a particularly memorable one for the Navan Centre as this is the second award they have scooped in a short time.  The Centre recently was also awarded a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for 2014.  The sky is the limit as the Navan Centre excels as Armagh’s premier visitor attraction.

For information please contact: Navan Centre & Fort, 81 Killylea Road, Armagh.  BT60 4LD.  Tel 028 3752 9644 or www.navan.com

The summer holidays have just begun and already the sound of ‘mummy I’m bored, there’s nothing to do’ can be heard. With eight long weeks ahead mums and dads can breathe a sigh of relief with some help from the National Trust.

The conservation charity is encouraging everyone to get out of the house and enjoy great play days out ticking off their list of ‘50 things to do’. This fun packed challenge is back – and there’s nothing to stop older kids and adults joining in too.

Rediscover childhood memories and make some new ones with the Trust’s check list for under 12s, and those who are young at heart. From climbing a tree to discovering life in a pond, skimming stones to flying a kite – which ones will you do this summer?

Amy aged 10 from Enniskillen and a member of the National Trust Outdoor Explorer group said: “I love going to Florence Court to play hide and seek and to look for bugs and beasties. My favourite thing was the rope swing and my dad pushed me really high.”

Antoni aged 8 from Belfast, also an Outdoor Explorer added: “The best day at National Trust is every day. My favourite place is the river bank near the bridge at Minnowburn where the gravel looks like a beach and you can skim stones.

Here are 10 of the 50 things to do.

For more inspiration go to www.50things.org.uk

–       Climb a tree in Rowallane Garden

–       Fly a kite at Downhill Demesne

–       Go on a really long bike ride in Florence Court

–       Create some wild art at Mount Stewart

–       Hunt for fossils and bones on Portstewart Strand

–       Make a grass trumpet at Springhill

–       Hunt for bugs at The Argory.

–       Skim a stone at Minnowburn

–       Go bird watching at Strangford Lough

–       Find your way with a map and compass at Castle Ward

Go enjoy lots of play days in the great outdoors – visit National Trust website www.nationaltrust.org.uk for more details of events and activities throughout the summer. And remember, every visit you make helps support the charity’s work looking after special places for ever, for everyone.

Among the most attractive events at recent John Hewitt International Summer Schools in Armagh, supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Armagh City & District Council, have been the Lunchtime Readings featuring some critically acclaimed prose writers.

And this year’s Lunchtime series, which runs at The Market Place Theatre in Armagh from 28 July to 1 August, will not disappoint those attending the Summer School and local book lovers as the most attractive line-up ever for the Lunchtime Readings includes top Irish writers Joseph O’Connor, Jennifer Johnston, Eoin McNamee, Mary O’Donnell and David Park.

Joseph O’Connor, who is one of the most popular writers ever to have visited the Hewitt Summer School, will start off this year’s very attractive lunchtime series on Monday 28 July.  The best-selling novelist and award-winning screenwriter will read from and talk about his new novel “The Thrill of It All”, a masterfully woven story which follows a band and a friendship over 25 years.

The guest writer at lunchtime on Tuesday 28 July will be David Park,  one of the most highly- regarded novelists living and working in Ireland, who will read from and discuss his latest novel, “The Poets’ Wives”. Deeply insightful and beautifully wrought, this book features David Park at his best – a novelist whose work has the power to bring the hidden from the shadows, into a delicate and shimmering light.

On Wednesday 30 July, there will be a warm welcome to JHISS for Eoin McNamee, now based in Sligo but originally from Kilkeel, Co Down. His first book, the novella “The Last of Deeds”, was shortlisted for the Irish Times Literature Prize and his novels include “Resurrection Man”, which was later made into a film, and “The Blue Tango” which was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Eoin will read from his  latest novel “Blue is the Night” which completes his  ‘Blue Trilogy’ of crime thriller novels, based on true murder cases from 1950s Northern Ireland, and he will talk about weaving real life cases into fiction.

Originally from Co Monaghan but now based in Co Kildare, poet and novelist Mary O’Donnell makes her first appearance at JHIOSS in Armagh on Thursday 31 July. Her books include six collections of poetry and the bestselling novels, “The Light-Makers”, “Virgin and the Boy” and “The Elysium Testament”. Her new novel, “Where They Lie”, set mainly in Northern Ireland, faces the legacy of ‘The Disappeared’ head on, exploring how families cope with tragedy and how history, when ignored, can poison love, family and society.

While Jennifer Johnston has read for the John Hewitt Society in other locations, she will make her first appearance at the Hewitt Summer School in Armagh this year. One of the foremost writers of her generation,  she has won the Whitbread Prize, the Evening Standard Best First Novel, and Best Book of the Year twice, and was also shortlisted for the Booker Prize with “Shadows on Our Skin”. Jennifer will be reading from her latest novel “A Sixpenny Song”, where death brings a young woman back to Dublin from London, to the house of tyranny she thought she had long escaped, and this Lunchtime reading on Friday 1 August should be one of the highlights of this year’s Hewitt week literary programme.

Tickets for individual readings cost £7.00 and these will be available at the Box Office at The Market Place Theatre Tel. 028 3752 1821 or they may be booked online: www.marketplacearmagh.com For further information see the Summer School brochure or website: www.johnhewittsociety.org

After a sell-out theatre and Edinburgh fringe run in 2013 with his show ‘Comments Disabled’, Colin Geddis [the man behind internet sensations such as ‘I AM FIGHTER’ and ‘Besty McD’] returns to The Market Place Theatre in Armagh with his new show ‘NSFW: Not Safe For Work’. NSFW is a hybrid blend of side-splittingly inappropriate stand-up material and trademark viral video sketches, during which, Colin explains how both he and his material are ‘Not Safe For Work’.

Colin Geddis will perform on Saturday 5^th July ay 8.30pm. Tickets are priced £10 each, and can be booked by contacting the Box Office on [028] 3752 1821, or online at www.marketplacearmagh.com. Please note this event is recommended for age 18+ as it contains material that some people could find offensive.

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.

This year’s Groomsport Music Festival will take on a distinctly Cajun feel with the arrival of the first Harbour Hoedown.

With a fantastic entertainment line-up featuring flavours of Bluegrass and Cajun, this free event taking place on Saturday July 5 is a must for music lovers!

BBC’s Joe Lindsay from “Across The Line” and “Getaways” will guide the audience through the event’s performers.  First on stage at 7pm are The Hardchargers.  The Hardchargers do exactly what it says on the tin – deliciously irreverent dirty blues.  It’s exciting, provocative and honest, ranging from down-home washboard/ resonator/double bass workouts, to a heady blend of twangy electric blues and roadhouse style rock.  A blistering three-piece, The Hardchargers have performed at a stellar list of music and arts festivals all over the island of Ireland as well as appearing alongside cult US artists Bob Log III, The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band and just recently, The Waterboys.

Next up, is The Flatville Aces – formed in the late 80s, this four piece from Southhampton are Britain’s best exponents of Cajun-flavoured roots dance music, playing Louisiana styled Cajun, comprising fiddle, accordion, acoustic bass and guitar with vocals in English and French.

The superb headline act will not disappoint, taking to the stage at 9.30pm, Hayseed Dixie are an internationally renowned outfit, headlining festivals all over the world and have played the main stage at Glastonbury.  They perform classic and original rocks songs by the likes of AC/DC, Motorhead and Queen in a fast, furious American blue-grass style they call “Rockgrass,” complete with fiddles, guitars, mandolins, dueling banjos and hillbilly harmonies. The four members of the group are world class musicians and their show is highly entertaining and family friendly.

For the children;  there will be a funfair in operation from the afternoon; and from 2pm – 4pm at Cockle Row; there will be glitter tattoos, children’s crafts, balloon modelling and World of Owls followed by a magician, face-painting and Party Animals NI from 4pm – 6pm.

There will also be a food available on site from 4pm providing an array of food and refreshments, another great reason to visit Groomsport and make a day of it! To help make it an even more enjoyable evening, Translink are putting on a special late night service with buses at 11pm and 11.30pm back to Bangor.

The Lyric’s new Executive Producer, the acclaimed director Jimmy Fay, unveiled his first season at the Belfast theatre today with a programme of compelling drama and new comedy.

The award-winning director, who was literary director of the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, launched the new season under the banner ‘Northern Soul’ which features exciting new writing, classic drama and some sparkling Christmas comedy.

“Each of these plays share something Northern in their locations and each of them deal in some powerful way with the soul; in my view the act of being truly alive,” Jimmy said.

Fay takes up the reins as David Ireland’s comedy Can’t Forget About You opens on the Danske Bank Stage for a four-week run until July 5. This hilarious romantic comedy, directed by Conleth Hill, was moved to the main stage after a sell-out run in the Naughton Studio last summer.

The new season kicks off in August with the intense drama, Punk Rock, about a dysfunctional group of students dealing with the pressures of adolescence and education.

The pressures of exams combined with sleep deprivation, sexual frustration and troubling thoughts lead to a shocking climax in this acclaimed play by prolific writer, Simon Stephens.

Punk Rock, directed by Selina Cartmell, runs on the Danske Bank Stage from Sunday 10 August until Saturday 6 September 2014. Tickets priced £15 – £24.50.

This year marks the 40^th anniversary of the Ulster Workers’ Strike which provides the perfect context for Stewart Parker’s final masterpiece, Pentecost which will be directed by Jimmy Fay. Starring Roisin Gallagher, Carol Moore and Judith Roddy, it tells the story of the inter-twined lives of a group of people thrown together during the Ulster Workers’ Strike.

Marian has sold her business and takes up tenancy in a repossessed Belfast working-class parlour-house. Her hopes for a safe haven and fresh start are soon shattered when she finds herself bunkered down during the strike with her estranged husband Lenny, his muesli-chomping friend Peter, and her best friend Ruth who is fleeing from an abusive husband.

They work out their relationships to each other, the world outside and to the past while trying to envisage a future beyond bombs and reprisals. Only Marian is aware of a fifth presence – the ghost of Lily Matthews, the previous occupant.

Pentecost runs on the Danske Bank Stage from Saturday 20 September to Saturday 18 October.

This Christmas the Lyric brings you two fantastic Premieres – a new Marie Jones’ play and a new production of the classic tale, Sleeping Beauty by Derek O’Connor for all the family.

From the Olivier Award winning author that brought you Stones in His Pockets and the acclaimed team that brought you Night in November – Xmas Eve Can Kill You and Women on the Verge of HRT, comes Mistletoe & Crime.

Two WPC’s try to keep order amongst the mayhem that is a Belfast Christmas – it doesn’t help that it’s the last night on the beat for one of them – the first night for the other – and they can’t find their land rover. Directed by the irrepressible Dan Gordon it would be a crime to miss it!

Mistletoe & Crime runs on the Dankse Bank Stage from Saturday 22 November to Sunday 11 January.

Talented choreographer and director, Deborah Maguire will conjure up the magic of Christmas for children and adults alike with a new musical adaptation of the enchanted tale of Sleeping Beauty. The story of a beautiful princess condemned to sleep forever by a wicked witch who pricks her thumb has been adapted by award-winning writer, Derek O’Connor, who won a Bafta for CBBC programme Roy.

Sleeping Beauty runs on the Danske Bank Stage from Friday 5 December until Sunday 4 January. Tickets range from just £12.50 – £18 with Family ticket & Schools prices available.

Looking ahead to next Spring, the Lyric Theatre in association with the Abbey Theatre and Soho Theatre, London proudly presents the World Premiere of Owen McCafferty’s play The Death of A Comedian.

From the award-winning writer who brought us Quietly and Scenes from the Big Picture, comes this brand new tale of the trials of a comedian, Steve Johnston who has to wrestle with compromises. Set across four separate stand-up gigs, this Faustian-style drama follows the choices of a comedian who could gain everything he wants, but may lose everything he has.

The Death of A Comedian runs on the Danske Bank Stage from Sunday 8 February to Sunday 8 March.

Jimmy Fay, Lyric Executive Producer said he is “very pleased to join and lead the dedicated and passionate team” at the theatre.

“Our aim is to present entertaining, inquisitive, adventurous and vibrant theatre, theatre that reflects and tells stories about our community and looks out into the world and towards the future with confidence and passion,” he said. “We hope you find the season we present today meets that vision and it is one which we aim to build on.”

He added: “There has been much in the press lately about theatre being elitist whether as a result of the programming or the pricing. From Punk Rock about teenage angst to a brand new play by Belfast’s favourite playwright, Marie Jones, I think the Lyric has something for everyone. We also have very affordable theatre with £10 tickets for students and the unemployed as well as concession rates for pensioners. Our fantastic Community Supersaver scheme offers unbeatable value tickets at just £5 for any community group who registers with the scheme. You can find out more on our website about this successful scheme which has benefited a wide range of community groups across Northern Ireland – many of whom would not normally attend theatre.”

Damian Smyth, Head of Drama and Literature, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said:  “As principal funder of the state-of-the-art Lyric Theatre, the Arts Council is excited about the diversity of drama that we can expect as part of this newly launched season programme. Ranging from Stewart Parker’s modern classic ‘Pentecost’ to Marie Jones’s new festive offering ‘Mistletoe & Crime’, the Lyric continues to play a key cultural role in our society by offering some of the best theatre Northern Ireland has to offer.”

Danske Bank UK CEO, Gerry Mallon welcomed the new season: “The announcement of the new season at the Lyric Theatre is always an exciting time and new Executive Producer Jimmy Fay certainly does not disappoint with his upcoming ‘Northern Soul’ programme. The Danske Bank Stage will host many local talented actors this season with comedy, romance and Christmas cheer. We look forward to another thrilling season ahead.”

For more information on the Lyric’s season or to book, go to www.lyrictheatre.co.uk or contact the Box Office on (028) 9038 1081.

Theatre at The Mill has got you covered this Christmas. While you’re savoring the summer sun, we’re saving you money with an exclusive 20% discount when you book for either of our festive shows ‘Slimmer for Christmas’ and ‘Tinseltown’ before 31^st August.

Paul Boyd returns once again with a sparkling new Christmas production. A treat for the whole family the musical adventure of ‘Tinseltown’ is set in a secret land full of magical creatures, The Tinsels, where Christmas is created each year. On stage from Monday 1 December – Saturday 13 December, this festive fairytale is a must-see this Christmas.

Specially commissioned by Theatre at The Mill, Leesa Harker, the author of 50 Shades of Red White & Blue and Dirty Dancin’ in le Shebeen, brings you ‘Slimmer  For Christmas’ from Tuesday  16 December to –Saturday 3 Jan* . This special seasonal holiday comedy takes you on Sami Salt’s mission to slim down for the Christmas do! Will she complete her Flab-Busters classes and woo her fancy-man under the mistletoe? Or will she eat her own bodyweight in Malteasers like last year?

Spend now and save next season with this great deal! For booking and for further information visit www.theatreatthemill.com or contact the Box Office team 028 9034 0202.

Fairhill will be entertaining your little ones for free every Sunday in July & August from 1:30pm! From magic shows to disco dance offs, there will be a different activity every week to ensure our kid customers never get bored!

The famous Fairhill bears will be out & about the mall each week greeting kids with delicious chocolate treats – oh my they are yummy!

Whether you’re looking for something to entertain their boredom, or maybe you need to offer them a distraction while you shop… Fairhill’s Summer Kids Club will do just the job!

Dates & activity for the Summer Kids Club events are as follows:

29^th June – Fairhill Bears with Guide, World Cup Workshop

6^th July – Fairhill Bears with Guide, Little Chefs Workshop

20^th July – Fairhill Bears with Guide, 1 Face Painter ,2 Punchy & Judy Shows

27^th July – Fairhill Bears with Guide, 2 Magic Shows

3^rd August – Fairhill Bears with Guide, Balloon Modelling Lessons

10^th August – Fairhill Bears with Guide, Disco Dance Off

17^th August – Fairhill Bears with Guide, 1 Face Painter, 2 Puppet Show

23^rd August – Fairhill Bears with Guide, Nutritious and Delicious Lunch Ideas for Kids

*Events subject to change

(All events run from 1.30pm to 4.30pm except for 23^rd August event – 1pm to 4.30pm)