2016 Festival Lough Erne officially launched
The 2016 Festival Lough Erne will take place in the grounds of the newly-refurbished Enniskillen Castle over the weekend of Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th September.
Festival Lough Erne, which was held for the first time last year, is organised by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council with the assistance of Food NI. It is part funded by the Council, as well as Tourism NI and Waterways Ireland.
The Festival, which comes at the end of Restaurant Week, features a Food Hall which will showcase the best of local artisan produce to be sampled and purchased, a Food Court with local pop-up restaurants creating signature dishes using local produce, as well as a busy programme of water-based activities such as canoeing and rowing, and music and street entertainment for the whole family.
Launching Festival Lough Erne, the Chairperson of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Councillor Mary Garrity, said: “County Fermanagh is renowned for its lakelands and has a growing reputation for top-class restaurants for producing a wide range of high quality foods. Fermanagh and Omagh District Council is delighted to bring these elements together in a festival atmosphere to showcase the hospitality and activity sectors which are so important to the local economy. Festival Lough Erne is the highlight of the 2016 Year of Food and Drink for us here in Fermanagh, and I hope it will become firmly established in our calendar of events attracting visitors to Enniskillen and the wider region in the years to come”.
Councillor Garrity went on to add that Festival Lough Erne comes at the end of Fermanagh Restaurant Week, another event which showcases all that is best about local produce and celebrates local culinary talent. “Agrifood businesses are very important to our economy, and the chefs who use local produce, and the producers who supply the freshest of meats, vegetables and dairy produce are mutually supportive, helping to create and sustain the local economy,” she added.
Festival Lough Erne will be based in the grounds of Enniskillen Castle. The castle re-opened on 25 August, following a major £3.2 million refurbishment which includes the development of new galleries and ‘behind the scenes’ rooms, as well as improved information and education facilities. The Visitor Information Centre has relocated to a stunning new purpose built centre where a genealogy service is also available, making the complex the heritage gateway for the area.
For further information on Festival Lough Erne and to book tickets please visit www.FestivalLoughErne.com or telephone Fermanagh Visitor Information Centre, based at Enniskillen Castle, on 028 6632 5000
