NI Tourist Board have put together this list of ten things to keep yourself busy with this weekend.
Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queens
16 October – 1 November
Various Venues
Ireland’s leading contemporary arts festival never fails to delight with high quality acts from music, film, dance, theatre, talks and visual arts, many of which are UK and Ireland premieres. Events this weekend include The Fountainhead,an adaptation of Ayn Rand’s novel of neo-Nietzschian philosophy and the Northern Irish premiere of Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings with their explosive live funk and soul performances
Resistance
21 October – 2 November
Titanic Drawing Offices
Sited in one of Belfast’s most historic buildings, the atmospheric Titanic Drawing Offices, Resistance by Liz Crow is a timely and hopeful work exploring issues of marginalisation and asking what can be done to prevent oppression in the future.
Food and Drink Show NI
24 – 26 October
King’s Hall Pavilion
Northern Ireland’s biggest consumer food and drink event returns to the King’s Hall Pavilion, Belfast. A programme of celebrity TV chef and local chef demonstrations will take place throughout the three day event.
Hannavas Family Event
25 – 26 October
Botanic Gardens
The African Savannah Comes to Belfast. Enter into the lives of these great, large-scale, mechanical, African mammals, each with a personality all of their own, and join them as they discover a very different Savannah in Belfast.
Booka Shade (Full Live Show)
25 October 7pm
T13
Moth’s warehouse parties go from strength to strength. This time, headline act Booka Shade play a full live show. These shows have been winning over festival goers the world over.
Royal Ulster Academy 133rd Annual Exhibition
17 October – 4 January 2015
Ulster Museum
This popular annual exhibition showcases original works across the disciplines of the visual arts (including sculpture, painting, drawing, photography and video) from emerging artists to the biggest names in Irish art.
Into the Deep Marine Festival
25 October – 2 November
Titanic Belfast
Into the Deep is Titanic Belfast’s annual marine festival – dive into the depths, learn how we explore this alien landscape and discover more about the mysterious undersea world.
Pumpkin Patch
25 October 12noon
Divis Coffee Barn, Belfast Hills
Come along to the scary happenings at Divis Coffee Barn on Divis and Black Mountain this Halloween. Let your little monster pick a pumpkin, scoop it out, draw a scary design and one of the carving team will create for you to take home.
Fine and Dandy Market
26 October 11.30am – 3.30pm
Crescent Arts Centre
The Fine and Dandy Market showcases the work of independent artists, designers, illustrators and crafters alongside stalls from collectors of records, books and vintage wares.
Belfast Film & Comic Con
Saturday & Sunday
Odyssey Arena
Showmasters, one of the UK’s biggest comic convention holders, have announced that tickets are on sale for their Belfast convention. Hopefully seeing the success of the recent MCM Comic Con will give them the confidence to book some big name guests.
Event Highlights Outside Belfast
Spellbound Festival
25 – 31 October
Castle Espie
Bring your little monsters to Castle Espie for a host of Hallowe’en fun including storytelling, craft, Hallowe’en games, beastly trail, face painting, monster mash dance parties, owls, creepy crawlies, fancy dress and more.
Seapark Fireworks
25 October 4pm – 8pm
Seapark Recreational Ground, Holywood
A night of food, fireworks and fun! Wrap up warm and make your way down to Seapark for this annual fireworks display. A children’s funfair and food stalls serving up treats from 4pm will help keep your mind off the season’s chill.
