Festival Lough Erne
17th September 2019
Festival Lough Erne, a two day celebration of the very best of local food and our beautiful Lakelands, is returning for a fifth year on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd September 2019.
The weekend will see a host of activity on and off the water with cookery demonstrations from guest chefs, the return of the popular food village filled with the produce of local artisan food and drink producers, live entertainment as well as a range of water based activities, all taking place at Enniskillen Castle, in the heart of Enniskillen town.
Speaking at the launch of Festival Lough Erne, the Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Councillor Siobhán Currie said;
“I am delighted that Fermanagh and Omagh District Council has once again undertaken to organise this fantastic event in partnership with the other key stakeholders. The Council has shown its willingness to collaborate with partners in the voluntary, statutory and business sectors to deliver projects which have a positive impact on the area. Festival Lough Erne certainly has proved successful over the years and is definitely a wonderful vehicle to showcase our superb waterways and the quality of our local produce sourced from across the district. I am confident that this year’s festival will build on the success of previous years.”
Over the course of the two days, local and celebrity chefs including Paula McIntyre, Adrian Martin and Glen Wheeler among others, will perform live cookery demonstrations for all to enjoy. If this wasn’t enough to get the taste buds tingling, the Food Village, packed with mouth-watering treats from across the county, will surely do the trick.
Gary Quate, Food and Drink Experience Development Officer at Tourism NI said: “Through Tourism NI’s Taste the Island Events scheme, we are pleased to support the Festival at Lough Erne which will be celebrating its fifth year. The two day festival offers an exciting programme of experiences for both local and international visitors to taste and sample the finest local artisan food and drink. I would encourage everyone to join in and taste some of the finest food and drink the programme has to offer.”
On the water there will be a host of activities as ‘Water Your Way’ returns. Take a short guided tour with the Erne Water Taxi, captain your own ‘wee red boat’ with Erne Boat Hire or experience canoeing with the Erne Paddlers.
There will be a range of activities for children over the weekend including decorating cupcakes with Lough Erne Cakes, crafts with The Party Bee’s and they can also try their hand at rock climbing!.
Festival goers can also enjoy cocktail making demonstrations, street entertainers, live music from local bands including Midnight Graffiti, The Banjacks and many more.
There are some added attractions for visitors to Festival Lough Erne to enjoy this year, such as a unique Tapas Cruise on-board the Lovely Leitrim Barge and the Enniskillen Taste Experience, a brand new attraction to the island town where you can sample the best of culinary delights with an indulgent mix of local food and as part of a quirky guided tour.
To top it all off admission across the weekend is free.Festival Lough Erne takes place at Enniskillen Castle on Saturday 21st September from 11.00 am to 6.00 pm and Sunday 22nd September 12 noon to 6.00 pm. Come along and join the fun!
Festival Lough Erne is organised by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and supported by the Department of Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs, Tourism NI, Waterways Ireland, Enniskillen BID and Fermanagh Lakeland Tourism.
For further information visit the festival’s website at www.festivallougherne.com and check for updates on Facebook and Twitter #FestErne