Welcome to The Girl Friday Guide! I'm on air every Friday on The Mark Lima Show giving you your guide to some of the best events and activities happening across Northern Ireland at the weekend. Helping you make the most of those precious days off, the guide has events for families, food lovers, music enthusiasts, adventurers, fashionistas and all that's weird and wonderful in between.
A Duke Special, Special
- A match made in the heaven; the Ulster Orchestra and Duke Special collaborate to give you some musical magic in this one off Special gig!
- Waterfront Hall
- Saturday, 8pm
- www.waterfront.co.uk
An Elephantastic Weekend
- Come along and have an `elephantastic` time while you learn more about Belfast Zoo`s Asian elephants. You can enjoy keeper talks, elephant feeding times, face painting and even join in the celebrations for Dhunja, the Asian elephants’ birthday party!
- Belfast Zoo
- Saturday and Sunday
- www.belfastzoo.co.uk
All Ireland BMX & Skate Competition
- The first ever ‘Road to Nass Ireland Qualifier’ is to be held as part of Europe’s biggest and most prestigious sporting and music event. Spend the day watching the competitors battle it out and spend the evening chilling at The Nass Breakdown Sessions with DJs, food and some awe inspiring BMX freestyling!
- T13, Titanic Quarter
- Saturday from 12pn, free entry
- www.t13.tv
Celtic Chrono and Big Bike Ride 2012
- Get on your bikes and cycle the route of the Olympic hopefuls! This cycling challenge sees participants raise money for charity and take part in the iconic torch route. 55 Professional female cyclists will race the route at 9am hoping to bag some Olympic Qualifying points and then the Leisure Cycle will take place shortly after with a more relaxed pace for anyone to take part in!
- Stormont Estate
- 9am professionals, 10.15am leisure cyclists
- www.celticchrono.com
Music in the Parks
- For your entertainment there will be a series of music and band performances in parks and city centre venues across Belfast from May to September 2012. This weekend will feature performances from the Ormeau Concert Band and the 1st Old Boys Silver Band. There will also be street entertainers and Mr Wizzy and That Man, in the park from 2.30 – 4.30pm, for the youngsters!
- Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park
- Sunday, 2pm – 5pm
- www.belfastcity.gov.uk/events
Annual Coffee Morning
- Join the Finaghy Cancer Group for a coffee morning and sale raising much needed funds and awareness for local cancer fighting causes. Admission fee includes coffee and cake!
- Wensley Hall, Finaghy Methodist Church
- Saturday, 10am to 12pm
Ballynahinch Youth FC Car Boot Sale
- Fancy a bargain from a car boot? Here’s your chance! Ballynahinch Youth FC are holding their car boot sale and have promised burgers and refreshments on sale to refresh the busy bargain hunters!
- Millbridge Playing Fields
- Saturday, 9am – 1pm
Festival of Fools
- Belfast’s annual street theatre festival promises five days of joyous mayhem including the largest ever street show created in Ireland and one of the smallest puppet shows to play in Belfast; award winning clowns from Cirque du Soleil and Cirque de Sally, Antipodean acrobats, singing cats, and the bendiest man in show business!
- Streets around Belfast City Centre
- Running until Bank Holiday Monday
- www.foolsfestival.com
Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival
- You can expect a fantastic mix of Comedy, music, theatre, literature and art. As ever, the programme will feature an exciting mix of local heroes and thrilling international acts such as Dylan Moran, The Ulster Kama Sutra, family events for younger children and of course, street theatre! Huge list on the website!
- Running until 13th May
- Various venues across Belfast
- www.cqaf.com
Deadmau5
- If a 3 day weekend isn’t long enough you can dance the night away with Deadmau5 into the wee small hours – there’s nothing like a night like this to make you forget you have work in the morning!
- Kings Hall
- Monday
- www.kingshall.co.uk
The MAC
- Belfast has grown up! Last night the doors opened to Northern Ireland’s newest arts and performance space and I went along for a sneak peek – it’s amazing! The first production begins on Sunday with Titanic, a courtroom drama with the words of the actual survivors of the Titanic!
- Open now
- The MAC, St Anne’s Square, Belfast
- www.themaclive.com
Land of The Giants *Date For Your Diary*
- 2012 has certainly been an exciting time for Northern Ireland as we have hosted our share of amazing events, and it’s not going to stop either. On 30th June the Titanic Slipways will be the set for Land of The Giants, the largest ever outdoor event of it’s kind to be held in Ireland. The unmissable show, which is a thrilling celebration of the giants – mythical, industrial, cultural, literary and social – which Northern Ireland has given to the world will feature state-of-the-art digital animation, dramatic special effects, fireworks, gravity defying aerial performances and a stage almost 200 metres long!
- Titanic Slipways
- 30th June
- www.landofgiants.info
Titanic Belfast Festival
- Belfast`s most famous creation, Titanic, will be commemorated in an extended annual festival from 31 March – 22 April. Belfast City Council along with the NITB have joined forces to put on a fusion of events to mark the centenary of Titanic’s fateful maiden voyage including a light show, an Easter Festival and MTV Presents Titanic Sounds!
- Various locations across Belfast
- 31st March – 22nd April
- www.belfastcity.gov.uk/titanic
St George’s Market
- They know all about the meaning of a 3 day weekend at St George’s market as they offer 3 days of market goodness to their visitors. If you calling down you have three choices – Friday Variety Market, Saturday City Food and Garden Market and Sunday’s Food and Craft Market!
- St George’s Market
- Friday to Sunday
- www.belfastcity.gov.uk/stgeorgesmarket
Parkrun
- Overindulged at Christmas and feeling the urge to get fit? You can join other folks from across Belfast every Saturday morning for a 5k run – it’s you against the clock! Runs take place in Victoria Park, Belfast and Waterworks Park, North Belfast. Registration essential and it’s free!
- Every Saturday @ 9am
- Victoria Park and Waterworks Park, Belfast
- www.parkrun.org.uk
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