The awesome guys at the tourist board know there are stacks of fun things to do across NI, from family days out to gigs and cultural events every week. So here are their top 10 exciting things taking place this week (1-7 July)

  1. Hillsborough Castle and Gardens Food Festival, Hillsborough, 5-7 July. Enjoy a majestic day out exploring 100 acres of beautiful gardens and pick up some fabulous local food and drink produce. There will also be live cookery demos from celebrity chefs, workshops and great entertainment for families.
  2. JDM Car Culture 2019, Lisburn, 7 July. Hundreds of show cars, trade stands, live entertainment and non-stop tyre shredding action awaits car fans in Balmoral Park. From slammed hatchbacks and 1000bhp+ road cars, to drift machinery and classic restorations, this year’s show has it all.
  3. A Taste of Summer Slemish Market Supper Club, Ballymena, 5 July. An evening of fine summer food, fun and friendship at Slemish Market Supper Club’s  ‘Taste of Summer’ pop up dining experience with chef Rob Curley in the Adair Arms Hotel.
  4. Seaside Revival Vintage Festival, Bangor, 6 July. A vintage festival celebrating Bangor’s heyday as a thriving seaside resort. Expect vintage stalls, a record fair, classic cars, a vintage fashion show, a dog show, Punch & Judy, traditional craft, sea swim, Etsy Market, plus quality hot food stalls and a full bar to keep you fed and watered. Live music includes The Sabrejets and The Swingtime Starlets.
  5. Inns Cross Market, Belfast, 6 July. A whole host of local food producers can be found on your doorstep at this farmers’ market. Choose from speciality meat, artisan breads and cheeses, preserves, chutneys and pickles and much more.
  6. Summer Music at St. Patrick’s, Coleraine, 4 July. Visitors to the Causeway Coast and Glens can enjoy a series of Thursday lunchtime concerts held over July and August in St Patrick’s Church. The programmes include recitals by local, national and international artists.
  7. Shandon Park Open Week, Belfast, 6-13 July. As Northern Ireland gets ready to welcome the 148th Open, Shandon Park Golf Club, just three miles from Belfast City Centre, is hosting its own Open Week of daily golf competitions.
  8. Steam and Jazz Train, Belfast, 5 July. Hop on board a restored 1960s train at Lanyon Place Belfast, hauled by a vintage steam locomotive. Relax as you leave the city behind and enjoy the sounds of New Orleans jazz when it call at stations which could be anywhere on the Northern Ireland railway network.
  9. Belvoir Players Summer Theatre Tour, Newcastle, 5 July. The ever-popular Belvoir Players make a welcome return to Newcastle Community Cinema for their now legendary Summer Theatre Tour with ‘Wedding Fever’, a rip-roaring Sam Cree comedy.
  10. Between the Hedges Exhibition, Armagh, 1-31 July. For this exhibition at Armagh Visitor Information Centre, Sharon Regan looks to the hedgerows, and shares the stories and myths inspired by the animals living between them.
Chris Caldwell

Author: Chris Caldwell

Chris Caldwell at your service! My favourite things are eating and Theatre, I have 2 small sons called Alex and Max who are more mustard than Hellmann's. I spend my days trying to wrangle them and exploring my favourite city - BELFAST! My favourite films are horror, my fav music is metal and my favourite Beatle is Ringo, mainly his work on Thomas the Tank.