Popular Moira Speciality Food Fair set to return with a new family-friendly event set to kick off proceedings

The artisan food fair will set up in the picturesque setting of Moira Demesne on Saturday 15 October from 10am – 6pm.

In a change to events this year, a new dimension has been added with a community-centred family event taking place the evening before to launch the weekend of food and fun.

‘Friday Fun in the Park’ takes place in Moira Demesne from 5pm-6pm on Friday 14 October and will give families the chance to come along and enjoy the colour of street theatre, with a range of seasonally inspired craft and dance workshops and family fun sports races.

Commenting on the upcoming Moira Speciality Food Fair, Alderman Allan Ewart MBE, Chairman of Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council’s Development Committee, said:

“Throughout the last year we have continued to see LCCC businesses grow and many new businesses coming onto the food and drink scene.

"I am delighted to see the return of the Moira Speciality Food Fair and to welcome our new aspect to the weekend with Friday Fun in the Park. Both events will give our local producers, craftspeople, and entertainers a well-deserved stage that will shine a light on their talents and offerings.

"We are really looking forward to welcoming foodies and families back to Moira Demesne for one of our favourite events of the year.”

Taking on a similar format to previous years, Saturday’s Speciality Food Fair will showcase a diverse range of producers, traders, chefs, musicians, and family fun activities, hailing from the council area and across Northern Ireland.

The timing of the event in the heart of harvest season is fitting as sustainability in where we source our foods, reducing food waste and the benefits of eating with the seasons is now more important than ever.

The artisan Foodhall will reflect the richness of NI’s food and drink offering with the prevalence of food trends such as organic, fermented and vegan foods very much to the fore.

Festivalgoers will be glad to know that all the usual characteristic features are retained for this year’s event.

As well as the artisan Foodhall, the Kitchen Sessions with Chef Demos, Craft drinks tent, Street Food hub and live music all return to include a widened programme of family fun activities.

Producers and chefs that will feature at this year’s Moira Speciality Food Fair from varying artisan backgrounds include Spontaneous Deuce, Jack’s Fudge, Ispini Cured and The Daily Apron with craft beer specialist Hilden Brewery at the helm of the craft drinks tent.

The artisan street food and coffee offering are always a big draw to the event and this year it will feature The Quirky Bird and Steady Neddy coffee trucks, Tribal Burger, The Hatch, Simply Scampi and newcomers to the NI street food scene, LASA and Feast.

Both the Friday Fun in the Park event and Speciality Food Fair will have a programme of interactive family-friendly activities to include magic and street theatre.

There will also be art and craft workshops, storytelling with Moira Library, and science workshops where children can embrace kite making whilst learning the physics behind making kites fly.

Entry is free and parking onsite with provision for accessible parking.

For more information visit visitlisburncastlereagh.com .