1. Winter Wildlife Trail at Glenmore Activity Centre, Lisburn, County Antrim, 19 January. Join the Lagan Valley Regional Park ranger service on patrol around the Glenmore Trail. This informal event offers the perfect opportunity to explore the local and natural history of the area in a relaxed setting. Meet at Glenmore Activity Centre car park at 2pm. Booking and pre-payment essential.
2. Winter Paper Bird Workshop with Adele Pound at Rowallane Garden, Saintfield, County Down, 18 January.Join local artist Adele Pound for a paper birding making workshop. Create beautiful paper birds with simple cutting and folding techniques. Participants will learn simple paper cutting and folding techniques to cut and assemble a paper bird decoration following instructions and demonstrations.
3. The Out to Lunch Festival at The Black Box, Belfast, 4 –26 January. Presented by Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival, start your year with a burst of culture at the 20th, Out to Lunch Festival, featuring a vibrant lineup of live music, theatre, comedy, and more. Out To Lunch offers lunchtime (and latterly evening) shows featuring the best in comedy, theatre, literatureand music. Out to Lunch has become one of the best loved winter festivals on these islands drawing artists and audiences from all over the world.
4. Belfast By The Glass, 17 and 18 January (more dates available). Sit back and sip. Get swept away in the boozy story of Belfast. Enjoy six delicious chapters and drinks, served with spirit by their storytellers. Sitting by the fire in the elegant parlour of one of the most historic buildings in Belfast, you will sip your way through the stories that make Belfast a city to be admired.
5. Belfast Zoo - Kids go free in January, visit website for open dates and times. Kick off the new year with this fantastic offer. In January, you’ll get a free child ticket with every adult ticket you buy. So, what are you waiting for? Grab your coat and hop on over for a breath of fresh air. There is plenty to see and do at Belfast Zoo with over 55 acres of beautiful scenery to explore.
6. Culture & Cuisine Tour with Seamus Heaney HomePlace, Bellaghy, County Londonderry, until 31 January. Enhance your experience by joining the Culture & Cuisine Tour which includes a tour of the captivating exhibition and a delicious meal at the renowned Taphouse Restaurant, conveniently located next door – all for just £32 per person. To book your tickets, call thebox office at 02879387444 or purchase online. Simply add the Culture & Cuisine Tour to your basket when booking your exhibition ticket.
7. The Chocolate Box at The Chocolate Manor, Castlerock, County Londonderry, 18 January (more dates available). Led by Chief Chocolatier at The Chocolate Manor, Geri Martin, you will begin by learning the fundamentals of working with chocolate at home and learning which equipment you need. You will then move on to hands-on chocolate making, practicing tempering chocolate to create a delicious selection of flavouredchocolates using ingredients such as honeycomb and orange. You will discover the differences in working with selected varieties of chocolate.
8. Beauty and the Beast - Directed by Brian Morgan at the Burnavon Theatre, Cookstown, County Tyrone, until early February. Stewartstown Amateur Dramatics Society returns to the Burnavon Theatre weekends in January and early February 2025 for another magical panto season. Beauty and the beast is a story of a young prince who is cast under the spell by a nasty witch. His spell can only be broken if he finds true love before the last petal falls from the rose. The prince gets help from different characters who along the way have many ups and downs before he finds love with beauty.
9. William Scott (1913-1989): From Life to Art at Enniskillen Castle, County Fermanagh, visit website for open dates and times. William Scott and his family moved to his father’s hometown of Enniskillen in 1924, 100 years ago. This exhibition illustrates a remarkable story following family tragedy. It provides a fascinating insight into the work of William Scott CBE RA, whose art is celebrated internationally.
10. Seán Morgan-Rooney: Lunchtime Recital at the Marketplace Theatre and Arts Centre, Armagh, County Armagh, 18 January. Pianist Seán Morgan-Rooney, originally from County Down, has a varied performing career as a soloist and chamber musician. In the past year, he has travelled to Iceland to perform contemporary music with the Caput Ensemble, to Japan to perform with his violin duo partner Bas Treub, and to Canada to develop his own interdisciplinary performance project at the Banff Centre.
For more information on what’s on, or to plan your next giant adventure in Northern Ireland, visit discovernorthernireland.comSubject to availabilities with select dates.
