Antrim Castle Gardens will host aroundNorth by Robert Jarvis on Thursday 13 October from 6.30pm.

This unique sound installation using eight large speakers and  the medium of sound, interprets the movement of the stars as they traverse the sky in real time.

Stars passing virtual lines in the sky trigger musical notes whose qualities are informed by their brightness, size, temperature and distance from Earth, creating a mesmerising sound map of the universe as viewed from our turning planet.

This multi-speaker sound composition, launched by Armagh Observatory and award-winning sound artist and musician Robert Jarvis, gives listeners an inspiring acoustic experience of the movement of the stars across the night sky, demonstrating the continuous motion of stars in the near Universe.

This is an innovative outdoor educational facility available to all. A free workshop will also take place at 10.30am and a Science and Astronomy talk from 2-3pm, where Robert Jarvis will explain the process he used to create the work and track the movements of the stars.

For further information please contact Clotworthy House on 028 9448 1338

Free Willow Weaving Saturdays continue on the 22^nd October 2016 from 2.00pm – 3.30pm.

Join us at the Navan Centre & Fort, Armagh to learn how to use this natural product to create some stunning pieces of work. It is amazing what can be achieved with nimble fingers and willow. In the past we have made fencing,

baskets, and even our beautiful pig ‘Sow-Anne’. Now it’s your turn to get involved.

Help us to make a Celtic Bull for the 2017 Wickerman Celebration. We are going to make this part by part, legs, horns, ears etc….

Suitable for 6 years + everyone is welcome to participate! Call in and join in all the fun.

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

The exclusive, chic and effortlessly stylish Bishop’s Gate Hotel will be hosting an afternoon of high fashion with a high tea aimed at fashion lovers on Sunday 20^th November.

Organised as part of Derry City and Strabane District Council’s ‘Fashion Fest’ which will take place from the 18^th until 20^th November, the event will feature a round table fashion show showcasing cutting edge retail collections served up with crisp bubbly and melt in the mouth patisseries.

Louise Breslin, Programme Manager at Derry City and Strabane District Council said the show is a perfect opportunity to get up close and personal to the new season collections of some of the top retailers in the North West, she said, ‘We will be serving up the hottest trends from some of North Wests top independent boutiques in the city’s newest boutique hotel.

‘This is an afternoon of fun indulgence for fashion lovers. Retailers will give the audience an exclusive up close glimpse of their latest collections while they enjoy the mouth-watering delicacies being served in the grand surroundings of the Bishops Gate Hotel. The show will provide inspiration to those keen to keep ahead of the latest fashion trends with displays of vibrant colours, edgy designs and unique items guaranteed to be exhibited.’

Tickets are on sale now, early booking is advised to avoid disappointment. The High Fashion Afternoon Tea event will take place on Sunday 20^th November at the Bishops Gate Hotel from 1:00pm until 3:00pm. Tickets are priced at £30.00 with an early bird rate of £27.50. Email fashionfest@derrystrabane.com for further details.

KILLYHEVLIN Lakeside Hotel and Chalets are providing two scarily good offers for the Halloween period.

The 4-star Killyhevlin Lakeside Hotel is offering a midweek break on the week of Halloween comprising of two nights  luxurious accommodation with full cooked breakfast, plus one night’s dinner in  Kove restaurant, all from just £129* per person sharing. This offer is available between October 30 and November 3.

Meanwhile, those wishing to get away with the family over the half-term period can also stay in one of the chalets on the shore of beautiful Lough Erne. These self-catering chalets sleep up to four persons and are available for a three night stay from £395.

Whilst enjoying a spooktacular Halloween break in Fermanagh, here are a few things that you could get up to:

Forest Spooky Trail, Corralea Activity Centre, Enniskillen, October 30.

Come fancy dressed and follow the Halloween spooky trail through the dark forest in search of some tricks or treats. An ideal family activity for Halloween, warm clothing and comfortable footwear is recommended. Ages 6 and over only.

Banshees, Bonfires and Boxty, Orchard Acre Farm, Irvinestown, October 31.

Take a ghostly walk after darkness falls, through the orchards and gardens in a round trip back to the barn. On the way, adorn the fruit trees for Halloween and collect fresh potatoes for boxty making. On return to the barn there will be a cookery demo on how to make this regional speciality.

Halloween Howler, Share Discovery Village, Lisnaskea, October 31.

Share Discovery Village hosts this spookily spectacular Family Friendly Halloween which promises to be frighteningly fun and packed with hair-raising activities. Become your favourite Halloween character with face painting, take part in the fancy dress parade, and enjoy the Halloween games, bouncy castle, treasure hunt, fireworks and more.

To find out more information go to www.killyhevlin.com

*Terms and conditions apply. Subject to availability. 

Culture vultures and food fanatics are being well catered for as Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council announce details of a very special Craft & Food Fest which is taking place in Solitude Park, Banbridge on Saturday 22 October from 10.30am – 4pm as part of Autumn Arts 2016.

The Craft & Food Fest is the ideal opportunity to start the Christmas shopping, pick the perfect present or just treat yourself to something a little special from a host of jewellery, felt, furniture, ceramics, glassware plus much, much more all produced by some of the finest local, national and international artists and craftspeople.

The Craft Fair is a firm favourite as part of the annual Banbridge arts celebration however this year the highly popular event takes on a tasty twist with the addition of a feast of fabulous food events to celebrate the Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink 2016.

Celebrated Chef, author and Ireland’s Good Food Ambassador Jenny Bristow will be dishing up delicious delights in the Craft and Food Fest marquee with a series of cookery demonstrations throughout the day.

A fine selection of Food Heartland producers will be showcasing their artisan food and drink products giving you the opportunity to sample some of the freshest and finest autumnal cuisine direct from the Borough’s bountiful basket.

Younger folk can enjoy the craft and food fiesta with the fabulous Toads & Prints family workshop where you can create your very own quirky Toadstool Hut plus produce plenty of mess and have plenty of fun printing with potatoes, apples and other seasonal fruits and vegetables.

If adventure in the great outdoors is more to your taste a sensational Scavenger Trail across Solitude Park is the cherry on the cake, offering plenty of prizes for kids.

Youth Arts organisation Wheelworks will be tuning up the Art Cart to play host to the fun and funky Fruit & Veg Orchestra. Make music be one of your ‘five a day’ and see if you can get a melody out of some of your favourite vegetables!

Admission is £2 for adults and £1 for children, so whether you are looking for a colourful collection of the finest crafts or a banquet of beautiful local food and drink, the Autumn Arts Craft & Food Fest is the perfect menu for a great day out.

The wait is almost over as Belfast’s coolest new hotel gets ready to open its doors this weekend.

As a series of first-look photographs show, Bullitt Belfast is a vibrant new concept that will provide a cool new space for people to work, play and stay in the heart of the city.

Featuring 43 stylish bedrooms, three bars (including Baltic, NI’s first ski-themed bar), a courtyard garden, 58-seater restaurant ‘Taylor and Clay’, an Espresso bar and a versatile private events space, Bullitt is set to make its mark on Belfast’s social scene when it opens on Saturday 15^th October.

The latest venture from the Beannchor Group – the people behind the award-winning Merchant Hotel, Little Wing Pizzeria, National Grand Café and The Dirty Onion – this contemporary new £7million development is an exciting new social hub, located on doorstep of Belfast’s social and shopping districts.

Blurring the lines between work and play, this urban playground will be the perfect hangout spot, with a relaxed atmosphere and laid back sophisticated vibe.

Bullitt’s no-nonsense philosophy means they’ve ditched the over-the-top extras so that they can deliver a quality service with no hidden costs.

Here’s what you need to know:

TAYLOR & CLAY

Get fresh at Taylor & Clay – fresh and locally-sourced that is. Each item on the menu is carefully chosen and hand-picked from local farms and suppliers. At the heart of Taylor & Clay’s kitchen lies its bespoke Asador Grill. Prime cuts of meat and seafood are charred and smoked, creating a unique flavour that will get your taste buds all fired up.

For those looking for something a little greener, try Taylor & Clay’s garden club specials – hand-grown and

harvested by Bullitt’s chefs in partnership with David Love Cameron’s organic heritage garden at Helen’s Bay. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Taylor & Clay will hit the spot whether you’re after a sneaky snack or a full-on feast.

The striking open kitchen creates a lively atmosphere, which spills out into the open plan space, with bar seating, which is ideal for lone or business travellers.

BULLITT BAR AND COURTYARD BAR:

Entrance to Bullitt Belfast is via Church Lane, through the Courtyard and into the Bullitt Bar. With mouth-watering cocktails, craft beers and Bullitt’s very own brew, the super-sleek Bullitt Bar is where it’s all happening. Grab a drink and relax in Bullitt’s cosy courtyard right in the heart of Belfast city centre. Find the entrance on Church Lane – look out for the impressive cascading Jameson Black Barrel statue and you’ll know you’re in the right place.

BALTIC – NI’s First Ski-Themed Bar

It might be Baltic outside but it’s always toasty in here. Warm up with a coffee, chill out with a beer, nibble on some tasty bar snacks and flatbreads and enjoy the eclectic soundtrack of Belfast’s first ski-themed bar.

ESPRESSO BAR:

With the first and only Kees van der Westen coffee machine in Ireland, Bullitt’s Espresso Bar promises to satisfy all of your caffeine needs. And whether you fancy a fresh juice or a pastry, Bullitt has you covered.

And if you need to get down to business, Bullitt has everything you need to get the job done in style, including super-fast Wi-Fi and plenty of USB ports.

THE ROOMS

Accommodation comes in three options with double rooms ranging from compact to spacious. Bullitt’s stylish rooms are cleverly designed to maximise space. All rooms, no matter which size, offer the same great features, including comfy king-size beds, refreshing rain showers, super-fast Wi-Fi, smart TVs and a daily breakfast bag filled with OJ, a granola pot and a piece of fruit to kick-start your day.

THE GOOD ROOM

Make yourself at home in Bullitt’s versatile private events space. The Good Room can hold up to 35 people theatre style and is the perfect place for work or play. With nothing else like this on offer in Belfast, guests can hire the space for any type of event from private dinners and drinks receptions to launch parties, screenings, team meetings and even intimate weddings. This flexible, bright and innovative space features boardroom seating for up to 12 people and a range of break-out seating, as well as a fully stocked kitchen.

“Bullitt will offer so much more than just a bed for the night, it will also be a place where people can work, relax and socialise,” says Beannchor MD, Conall Wolsey.

“It will be a space for meetings, coffee and lunch during the day and a place to meet and mingle over cocktails and food at night, with an eclectic calendar of events for both locals and visitors to enjoy.”

Bullitt will kick off its eclectic events calendar on its opening night (Saturday 15^th October) with a special ‘Bullitt Presents Ryan Vail Live’ event. The free live show, will showcase the local talents of Derry born electronic music composer Ryan Vail and guests in the Bullitt Bar from 8pm. Having supported the like of Jamie XX, Nils Frahm and Todd Terje to name a few, Ryan will be joined by some Bullitt’s favourite DJs: Cathal Cully (Girls Names), Mark Reid (Touch Sensitive Records) and Bullitt resident Jonny Carberry, spinning a worldwide mix of ambient, soul, electronic and disco.

Rooms are available to book now at www.bullitthotel.com, starting from £120.

Stay up to date with all of the Bullitt news on the Bullitt Facebook page, facebook.com/bullittbelfast or follow Bullitt Belfast on Twitter @BullittBelfast

The 19^th Annual International Roe Valley Folk Festival, will take place this year, from the 26^th to 31^st October 2016.

This event has grown now to become one of the biggest occasions in the North West area.  Again, it promises to be a great celebration of the Cross-Cultural Folk Song, Music, Dance & Verse.  Over the weekend, this will all be demonstrated by an array of performances and entertainment from Scotland, England, Europe and other parts of Ireland.

The Festival will be launched on Wednesday 26^th October at 8.00pm in the Keady Clachan Cottage, Limavady.  This is a venue where many similar events take place, various dignitaries will be in attendance so refreshments will be served and entertainment provided.  The Roola Book Group from Cork, along with various local artists will provide much enjoyment.

Over the weekend of 28^th, 29^th & 30^th October, there will be an abundance of folk performances, concerts, session and workshops.  Performances, such as Life of Reilly (Scotland), Haggerdash (Scotland & England), Roola Boola (Cork) will all provide gigs.  They will be joined by local acts: – The Jaywalkers, Sharon Nixon, The Simple Truth, The Two of Us and Gavin Corey.  All of these performances will conduct folk session with the Mitchells (Loup) and Craic (Strabane).

There will be dancing displays from the Shelley Ann Campbell School of Highland Dance, and the Allen School of Irish Dance.  These will perform together at 2.00pm on Saturday afternoon, outside the Roe Valley Arts & Cultural Centre, Limavady.  (Weather permitting, otherwise the performance will be inside the centre).

The weekend will be completed, as always at Browns in Drumsurn on Monday night 31^st October.  This is a folk session for those with stamina, to keep going for one more night.

All of this would not be possible without the support of Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and some other local businesses.  All details are contained within the festival brochure, various local newspapers and local radio programmes.

Some of this might even be done in fancy dress as it just happens to be Halloween as well, come and enjoy…………………

Trying to keep children entertained over the Halloween school break?  Sign them up for the Halloween Craft and Games Club at the Palace Stables, Armagh.

Taking place on Monday 31^st October & Tuesday 1^st November from 10.00am – 4.00pm, this club is packed full of games, crafts and activities all with a Halloween theme.

Suitable for 5-12 year olds, all your child needs is a wonderful imagination to unleash their inner artist to create some amazing artwork!

Admission is just £12.50 per day, £10.00 per day for 2nd & 3rd child. Take advantage of our early bird offer and book by 21st October and get 20% discount!  Booking in advance is essential on www.armagh.co.uk/halloweencrafts or call 028 3752 9644 for further information.

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

Hastings serves up winter warmers this October for the NI Year of Food and Drink 2016

NORTHERN Ireland’s Year of Food and Drink continues into October, and Hastings Hotels is supporting the initiative with a series of mouth-watering recipes across all six of its hotels.

October is Harvest Month, a celebration of the fruits of the land and the talented farmers across Northern Ireland.

To mark Harvest Month, Hastings Hotels will be serving up a special Slow Cooked Irish Beef and Spiced Pumpkin Hotpot throughout October.

Hazel Magill, Executive Head Chef at Slieve Donard Resort and Spa, said:-

“Northern Ireland has a rich agricultural heritage, and we at Hastings have always supported this with our use of the finest quality local ingredients, something that is particularly appropriate with this month’s Harvest theme,” commented Hazel.

She continued:  “Our slow cooked beef and spiced pumpkin hotpot is the ultimate comfort food, made with the finest local beef, seasonal pumpkin with a hint of spice, and accompanied by buttery cabbage and a horseradish mash.

“The whole meal is available served with Thompson’s Hastings Blend Tea or Bewley’s Estate Blend Coffee for just £10, and as the days get colder and shorter it is certain to warm you up.”

For those who wish to treat themselves, Hastings Hotels are also celebrating seasonal local fruit with a special desert for the themed month, a delicious apple and blackberry crumble.

“Anyone wishing to upgrade their meal to include our mouth-watering apple and blackberry crumble can do so for an additional £5.

“It’s made with local fruit, served in a pastry tartlet shell with a rich vanilla custard, and anyone with a sweet tooth will find this autumnal dish hard to resist,” Hazel concluded.

The tasty beef hotpot meal and tempting crumble will be available throughout all the restaurants in the Hastings Group during October, Harvest month, in celebration of Northern Ireland’s Year of Food and Drink 2016.

Are you brave enough to enter the Tower of Terror? As Halloween approaches, the Tower Museum will see the awakening of some its most putrid and ghoulish residents who will roam freely around its exhibitions.

To those that dare enter, you can find them climbing the walls and hanging from the ceilings of the historic tower, causing terror to anyone who enters.

Sylvia Kavanagh, Museum and Visitor Services at Derry City and Strabane District Council said, ‘At this time of year we begin to notice strange happenings occur at the Museum. These creatures run amok throughout the museum causing mayhem and mischief at every turn.

‘As you walk through the darkness, guided by lamplight on the Ghost Tours, be prepared to be terrified by stories of ‘The Death Coach’, ‘The Gravestone’ and ‘The Devil’s Chair’. With admission to the tours you can also avail of the family fun activities in the Discovery Zone which will include mask making, treasure hunts, lantern making and lots of other fun activities.

‘There will be plenty of frights as you go along. This is not something for young children so we have a very strict policy that children should be eight years and above. With Ghost Tours and Family Fun Activities planned over the Halloween spell, it’s time to get booking now as these events fill up very quickly.’

Events at the Tower Museum will take place from Thursday 27^th October until Monday 31^st October. The Ghost Tours begin at 2.00pm, 3.00pm, 4.00pm and 5.00pm each day, entry is strictly 8 years and above, Tickets cost £2.00 for a child, and accompanying adults are free of charge.  Adults without children will be charged £2.00. The Family Fun Activities will take place each day from 2.00pm until 5.00pm and is suitable for all ages. Further information on the Tower Museum can be found at www.derrystrabane.com.