On Friday 25 and Saturday 26 November the Square, Ballyclare will be bursting with Christmas Fayre.

An artisan food and craft market is taking place from 12pm to 8pm on Friday and 11am to 6pm on Saturday. The free family event is being organised by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council and everyone is welcome.

Come along for family entertainment including a magician, the playbus, arts & crafts, face painting and amusements.

Bonkers Betty Bizarre Bazaar will be making their debut in Ballyclare with a host of food and craft stalls offering their fantastic goods for sale at the market. With so many stalls over the weekend, it is ideal to pick up a unique Christmas gift.

For more information about the event please contact Karen Steele on 028 9446 3113 ext. 31376 or visit www.antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk/christmas

Ballyclare will light up for Christmas on Saturday 26 November 2016 with an array of family fun activities at the annual Christmas tree switch on.

Come and see Snow White and friends in their Enchanted Forest from 1.30pm in Ballyclare Town Hall with craft sessions by Jumping Clay for the whole family.  Tickets are required for the Enchanted Forest, which also includes a free child’s visit to Santa’s Grotto.  Tickets for the three sessions at 1.30pm, 2.45pm and 4pm, are available from Sixmile Leisure Centre and cost £3 per person.

Children can also visit Santa’s Grotto at a cost of £2.50 per child which includes a gift from Santa.  Proceeds from the grotto will go to work supported by the Mayor’s Charities.

At 2.30pm the free family fun entertainment will kick off with local radio presenters ensuring the crowd get into the festive spirit.  At 5pm there will be Christmas readings, Carols and music before the much-awaited arrival of the Mayor along with his special guests Snow White, Santa and friends.  Together they will switch on the Christmas tree lights to light up Ballyclare for a magical Christmas!

Further details of the full Christmas programme can be found on our website www.antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk/christmas

Antrim Town is the place to be on Thursday 24 November from 5.30pm as the Christmas lights switch on ceremony, organised in conjunction with Castle Mall, promises to start the yuletide season with festive fun and entertainment!

The action kicks off in Market Square with musical entertainment hosted by Sonya Mac from Q Radio, who will entertain with hits both old and new. Of course the evening wouldn’t be complete without a visit from Santa who will make his grand entrance with Snow White at 7pm.

One of the highlights is sure to be the special children’s prize draw with great prizes to be won, including a WowWee Chip Interactive Robot Dog. If you haven’t already got your prize draw slip, they are available from the Old Courthouse and can also be picked up at the event.  A spectacular fireworks display at 7.30pm will round off what will undoubtedly be a perfect festive evening.

Further details of the full Christmas programme can be found on our website www.antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk/christmas

‘Santa’s Magical Solstice Christmas’ will take you on an enchanted Christmas journey to the magical land of Lapland.  Be amazed as day quickly turns to night and the wonder of the Solstice takes place.

In Lapland, Santa has left lots of jobs for his elves.  Some of the elves are happier with their jobs than others and they might need a little help from you!

Santa will be waiting in his wonderful house to meet all the boys and girls, and of course, he has a gift for all the children!

This event begins on 3^rd Dec and continues to 22^nd December with various time slots available.  Booking on-line is essential.

Tickets are just £10.50 per child, £5.30 for Under 1s and £5.30 per adult, this will include a gift for children and a tea-time treat for adults. 10% discount for parties of 12 or more, when made as one booking.

For information on timeslots and booking see www.armagh.co.uk/santa

Navan Centre, 81 Killylea Road, Armagh.  BT60 4LD.  Tel 028 3752 9644 or www.navan.com

At this time of year, many of us are starting to make our lists for Christmas gifts and shopping for the party season. One of the best opportunities to make those purchases will be at a unique ‘Journey to Market’ event which will be taking place on 3^rd December at the Diamond in Coleraine Town Centre.

This specialised Christmas Market will be providing everyone with an early opportunity for obtain those special items while supporting these new entrepreneurs as they go forward into industry.

This bespoke event is open to the public, to view what is proving to be a highly successful programme. It is the fifth programme in the series whereby entrepreneurs from the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough will be showcasing their artisan products for public to purchase. Just some of the items available on the day include: specialised food products for cooking and baking; tasty breads; various types of chutneys; meats; and various crafts.

The ‘Journey to Market’ Programme, funded by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council secured its new selection of candidates back in September and is now supporting them to turn their hobbies into businesses.  This bespoke Programme is delivered by Lara Goodall Consulting Ltd in partnership with Nuala Foley & Associates and was designed for food, arts and craft entrepreneurs. The project opens doors which sometimes new businesses may struggle with, and one of the opportunities will be the event in Coleraine.

To date, four programmes and forty-five businesses have successfully completed their ‘Journey to Market’ and taken their product into the public arena.  Julienne Elliott, Economic Development Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council said, “This Programme provides one to one mentoring to support each participant to develop their ideas and ensure they have the necessary skills to take them forward.

“This particular event will provide valuable experience selling direct to the public, as well as guiding them through business planning, product development, visual merchandising and marketing.

“Lara Goodall Programme Manager, has brought her wealth of specialist advisors and opened some of those difficult doors many of us face when starting a new business.”

Programme Manager and Business Consultant Lara Goodall stated, “The Journey to Market programme fits well with Christmas providing so many opportunities for everyone.  The public can come and enjoy the various arts, crafts and food available on the day, while suppliers get to meet the public as part of their experience. Through this they will learn how to develop their unique product and what is like to answer questions on what they have created and produced.

“Many of those who have completed the previous programmes are doing exceptionally well and already developing new markets for their products.  There are a few more mentoring opportunities and events for the current candidates to complete, but they are all benefiting from the various opportunities being provided.

Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council will soon be delving into Santa’s sack to choose the winners in the 12 Gifts of Christmas competition.

But there is still time to be in with a chance of winning a fabulous festive present from our selection box of sensational seasonal gifts before the closing date of Friday 25 November.

Starting on 1 December, for twelve days one lucky winner will be chosen to receive a wonderful prize to bring a little Christmas magic into their lives. All winners will be announced each day on the council Facebook page at www.facebook.com/armaghbanbridgecraigavon

Prizes up for grabs include family tickets for the superb Cinderella pantomime in The Market Place Theatre, Armagh or experience Santa’s Magical Winter Solstice Christmas at Navan Centre and Fort. Get set to swish down the slopes with a super snow-tubing experience with Santa at Craigavon Golf Ski Centre or be prepared for some gravity defying fun at Jumpboxx indoor trampoline park in Banbridge.

Set a course for deep space at Armagh Planetarium and journey back in time to Bethlehem to witness the Christmas story as you have never seen it before in the ‘Mystery of the Christmas Star’ digital theatre show.

Get started on your Christmas shopping list or treat yourself to a special gift with a fantastic £100 voucher for Rushmere Shopping Centre, Craigavon. There’s tasty treats galore in the succulent shape of a luxury hamper from the Yellow Door, (Portadown) or why not tuck in to a delectable dining experience at The Moody Boar (Armagh).

Topping all of these is the grand prize of a £500 shopping spree in the borough, courtesy of Cleary Contracting Ltd, which is guaranteed to bring one lucky winner a sleigh-full of Christmas cheer.

To enter, simply submit your name, address and telephone number via email at competition@armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk, post your entry to 12 Gifts of Christmas Competition, Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, Old Technical School, 3 Downshire Road, Banbridge BT32 3JY or complete the online form at ourstoryofchristmas.com

The competition is open to borough residents aged 18 and over. Only one entry per household will be accepted. Full terms and conditions can be found at ourstoryofchristmas.com. Good luck!

Award winning duo Caroline Curran and Julie Maxwell return to Theatre at The Mill with their Knockout Christmas Comedy ‘Last Orders at the Rough Diamond’ from Tuesday 6 – Saturday 31 December.

Faced with eviction from their beloved home and bar ‘The Rough Diamond’, sisters Holly & Ivy along with the help of some of the rubbered regulars , set out on a mission to save the local dive from being bought by a pretentious landowner and turned into posh apartments.

Meanwhile local boxer short-legged Stuarty Crampton faces his biggest fight to date, should the girl’s place all their hard earned cash and Christmas cheer on Crampton saving them from a Yuletide eviction? Will there be any room in the INN this Christmas.

Join us for the perfect Christmas night out, this hilarious show, which holds no punches will leave you feeling punch drunk.

Tickets available from Box Office: 028 9034 0202 or online www.theatreatthemill.com

Dinner and show packages are available from £32.95. Our New Year’s Eve performance will be followed by an after show party where you will get the chance to mingle with the fabulous cast, whilst bringing in the New Year.

With even more on offer at this year’s Belfast Christmas Market, a construction team of over 30 people has been on site for almost two weeks creating the operational marvel that is the Market.

This year the market includes an additional 20 chalets along the outside perimeter of the City Hall grounds, and because every chalet is built by a team onsite, this has required even longer than normal – and of course even more cups of tea and sausage rolls.

Market Place, operators of the Market, were awarded the tender again this year for another three years with a possible extension beyond that. Managing Director Allan Hartwell said:

“The market has grown from 30 chalets in 2004, when we first came here, to well over 100 now. We love this city and think that shows through our commitment and investment in the Market.  Every year we push to make it bigger and better than ever and in 2016 we have really raised the bar, with over £200,000.00 invested in new chalets and trading structures, innovative layout and new initiatives and an even wider range of produce including more locally sourced goods.

“We’re delighted that once again the sights and sounds of the Belfast Christmas Market will form a focal point for the city centre, and encourage people to come and visit and explore everything else that this wonderful place has to offer.”

The chalets along the perimeter have a particular focus on local food and craft, including local companies such as the Belfast Beard Company, winners of the Market’s Pitch Perfect new business initiative. Rossi’s in North Belfast is merging local food with an international twist, bringing ice cream chimneys to the Market. Owner Andrew Harding explained:

“Although chimneys are of Hungarian origin, the ice cream filled sugary baked treats were discovered on holiday in Toronto. People were queuing in the rain for these. That sold it for me! We just had to bring these home and are filling the chimneys with Rossi’s own well-established ice cream of course.  We have been working very hard for the last month to get ready, but we believe we have an awesome product and it will be very well received.”
There’s something of a fairy theme for 2016 too, with the award-winning Irish Fairy Door Company trading at the market. All Fairy Trail has been developed around the market for little visitors to follow to find the magic fairy doors and learn all about the fairy personalities specially created for the Market. With special appearances too from their very own Fairy Clodagh, star of their Facebook Live videos, young guests should find something to keep them amused while their parents shop for those unique Christmas presents.

As well as even more local flavour, the Market still offers something a little bit different with 32 nationalities from all over the world bringing all sorts of unusual foods and gift ideas: crepes from France, Dutch pancakes, Belgian chocolates, an exotic selection of ostrich, wild boar and crocodile burgers, giant bratwurst from the iconic Schwenkegrill, Spanish paella and sweets from Italy. Visitors can also treat themselves to the well known Hug in a Mug of Gluwein and end the day in one of the bars serving local and continental drinks, taking the chance to dig through those shopping bags, look over their purchases and get even more into the Christmas spirit.

This year too, Santa’s Grotto will be operated by the Children’s Cancer Unit at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, a very worthwhile cause bring great comfort to children with cancer and other blood disorders.

The best way to keep track of anything new at the market, including ever important weather updates, is to follow the official Facebook page at Belfast Continental Christmas Market.

Belfast Christmas Market will be at the City Hall from Saturday 19 November until Thursday 22 December. Opening hours are Monday – Wednesday 10 am – 8 pm; Thursday – Saturday 10 am – 10 pm and Sunday 1 pm – 6 pm.

Santa’s grotto will be open at the following times:

Monday – Friday 11am – 7pm

Saturday 10am – 7pm

Sunday 1pm – 6pm

Atlantic Sessions showcases over 50 artists in over 30 venues throughout four days. Cafes, restaurants, hotels, pubs, coffee shops, music venues and the Town Halls across Portrush, Portstewart and Portballintrae will be lit up with gigs from the finest performers across Northern Ireland.

Audiences can follow music trails in intimate venues throughout the three resorts with a different live performance taking place every hour, and it’s all admission free.

Now in its eighth year and firmly established in the music calendar, the Causeway Coast and Glens Council event has emerged as a permanent feature on the cultural calendar and has gathered a reputation both among performers and music lovers. Live music ranges from traditional, bluegrass and americana to electronic, indie and acoustic singer-songwriters.  It offers a platform for emerging talent as well as established artists from across Northern Ireland and an opportunity to bring their music beyond urban hubs.

It has a significant role to play in developing tourism, appreciating the ongoing success stories which make us proud of our indigenous music scene and showcasing the Causeway Coast and Glens internationally. This year’s festival will coincide with the Causeway Coast and Glens Restaurant Week, a culinary celebration which includes themed nights, food tours and taster menus, using the very best of fresh local and seasonal produce, with fine wines and artisan ales.

The Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Alderman Maura Hickey, said: “Atlantic Sessions has established itself as one of the Borough’s premier live music events. As a tourist destination, attractions like this help us to extend our visitor season. The fantastic variety of free musical entertainment, set against our beautiful seaside locations, is a winning combination which helps to create the event’s uniquely vibrant and warm atmosphere.”

This year’s festival is programmed by Snow Water, and its Director, Carolyn Mathers commented:

“Northern Ireland is extraordinary in the richness of its talent and our artists are receiving international awards and acclaim. Atlantic Sessions will celebrate our incredible music scene, musical heritage, artistic excellence, hospitality, and with the backdrop of stunning coastal scenery and magnificent views. This year we will feature a series of new collaborations and ‘In the Round’ concerts exclusively for the Atlantic Sessions, seven of the NI Music Prize 2016 nominees, EP and Single launches, and audiences will have an opportunity to witness our finest singer-songwriters partner together in intimate environments.”

Causeway Coast and Glens Council are honoured to dedicate Atlantic Sessions 2016 to Henry McCullough. Not only was Henry an instinctive guitarist and singer-songwriter, he was also proud of his North Coast roots and passionate about helping his fellow musicians in any way he could.

Help Musicians UK, the Atlantic Sessions Headline Sponsor, commented:

“Help Musicians is proud to be a partner of the Atlantic Sessions. This marks the first launch of Help Musicians NI, the region’s own independent music charity, outside of Belfast. As our first outreach operation, this is a milestone for our 95-year-organisation and we are looking forward to supporting and embellishing the unique musical ethos and heritage of the region. I would also like to take this opportunity to tribute the incredible career of Henry McCullough, a musician the charity knew very well, and we are honoured to be part of a Festival which remembers his musical legacy.”

For further details and to book online for free events, check out www.atlanticsessions.com.

Atlantic Sessions is a Causeway Coast and Glens Funded Event, programmed by Snow Water and sponsored by Help Musicians NI.

This Christmas the MAC, Belfast’s multi award-winning arts venue, is thrilled to introduce a new generation of theatre-goers to the magic of Pinocchio.

The modern retelling of the classic tale by the hugely successful children’s theatre company Cahoots NI, is proudly sponsored by Phoenix Natural Gas and will take to the stage over the festive period from Tuesday 29 November until Sunday 1st January 2017.

This is the simple story of a puppet who longed to be a real boy. Searching for a family to call his own, Pinocchio’s adventures take him to school, to The Land of Grand Illusions and ultimately back to his father Gepetto in his quest to become a real boy.

This family musical is perfect for six years plus, but younger audiences will enjoy the live music and the dazzling magic that local company Cahoots NI is renowned for. Directed by Paul Bosco McEneaney, expect thrilling acts of illusion that will leave you bewildered.

Paul explains: “The story starts with us meeting Gepetto, who like every parent, doesn’t always get it right. In his wood cabin one magical day, he begins to work on his latest carving and can’t believe it when that piece of wood begins to talk back. Young audiences will love seeing Pinocchio come to life, literally, on stage.

He then gets into all sorts of mis-adventures and antics but you’ll be willing him to do the right thing along the way. In the end, it’s not about Pinocchio being naughty or telling the odd white lie, but about the age-old truth that children need to discover the world for themselves. We’ve worked hard to create a magical, but realistic world for Pinocchio on stage – we recommend that you keep your eyes peeled as there will be things going on that you just won’t quite believe.”

Speaking about this year’s family show, Simon Magill, Creative Director at the MAC said:

“I’m so pleased that we’re working with Cahoots NI again in this all-new coproduction. We have promised to bring the magic of Pinocchio to local audiences this Christmas at the MAC. It’s a classic tale that many of us are familiar with, but Cahoots NI have done an incredible job in making it their own; this is sure to unlike anything you’ll have seen before.

“As a creative hub for everyone, the MAC works hard to ignite the imaginations of all our visitors from young to old. That’s why we have put lots in place to surround the Christmas show so that from the moment you step into the building, the whole experience is magical. From Gepetto’s log cabin, recreated in our front window to the amazing Phoenix Wishing Wood created by artists on the ground floor where families can place their Christmas wish, there’s lots happening for all ages – much of it free.

So, if you’ve never been before, I’d highly recommend a visit to the MAC over the Christmas period – even just to pop in to check out our free family room and huge Christmas tree, everyone is welcome.”

Cathy Magovern, Marketing Manager at Phoenix Natural Gas, said:

“After 20 years in Northern Ireland, Phoenix Natural Gas is at the heart of many homes and we are delighted to continue to support growing families through sponsoring the MAC’s Christmas production of Pinocchio. It’s an exciting production and a world-class creative venue which we are proud to sponsor this holiday season.

We’re particularly looking forward to opening the very special Phoenix Wishing Wood in the heart of the MAC, as a free experience for families when they visit. Simply make a wish at the Phoenix Wishing Well and Phoenix will be making that wish come true for one lucky child this festive season. Soak up the magic of the MAC as it sparks the imagination to inspire your wishes, and it could be your family having a dream come true this Christmas.”

Tickets for Pinocchio at the MAC are now available, priced at £10 for children and £16-25 for adults. For more information about the show or to book a ticket, visit themaclive.com or call the MAC on (028) 9023 5053.