Flavours of the Foyle offers waves of family fun

The city will magically transform into a haven of all things sea related for the annual event which will see pirates, mermaids and salty sailors aplenty along the city’s Quay while the Guildhall Square will feature some of the best chefs including Paul Rankin, cooking up the best in locally sourced produce.

The festival is very family friendly focused with lots of free entertainment on offer to suit all ages and tastes.

There are over 20 local establishments taking part in the Seafood Trail offering a range of specialised locally sourced seafood dishes, showcasing all that is good about our connection to fresh fish and seafood produce from the Atlantic Ocean.

Organised by Derry City and Strabane District Council, with financial assistance from from the Northern Ireland Regional Food Programme (DARD & Invest NI) and Loughs Agency, the event attracts up to 20,000 food fans to sample some of the area’s finest locally sourced seafood.

A key part of the festival’s offering is the focus on free family friendly activities with a wide range of events and entertainment, including a visit from Spreya the mermaid, face painting and storytelling, and arts and crafts, all scheduled for the weekend.

As part of the Food NI Taste Adventure, children will be encouraged to take part in a range of activities that will encourage them to use their senses of smell, sight and touch to identify various food produce. The education tent will house a series of taste adventure zones encouraging children to be part of the whole food taste experience.

The Mayor will host a special free family fun day on July 25 from 12pm to 4pm as a way of encouraging families with young children to come along and be part of the whole experience.

Throughout the afternoon children can battle it out with some console challenges at Game On in the Whittaker Suite. The Guildhall’s Main Hall will host a huge bouncy castle, as well as balloon modeling, face painting and arts and craft activities.

You can capture the moment at the Camper Van photo booth, dip some treats in the chocolate fountain, and visit the candy corner in the foyer outside the main hall while the main building will be buzzing with activities, spilling out into the Guildhall Square which will be overrun with special characters, as well as arts and crafts, face painting and for courageous kids, the mysteries of the Loughs Agency touch tank.

There will be lots to keep everyone entertained over the weekend.

For more information about the festival visit: www.flavoursofthefoyle.com