Feeling Festive?

Feeling Festive?

Northern Ireland is a great place for festivals and almost every town has its own theme festival of some sort. The Belfast Festival at Queen's University is one of the biggest with a packed program of arts, music, and literature held in October. Belfast's Cathedral Arts Quarter Festival, held late April-early May, uses established, new, and unusual venues throughout the oldest part of the city center for two weeks of music, theater, and visual arts. Feile an Phobail, the West Belfast Festival, held in early August, is a 10-day schedule of events with a political and international theme. Hillsborough International Oyster Festival, held in September, is three days of good food and entertainment -- the highlight is, of course, an oyster-eating competition. For a rundown on many other festivals, contact the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.