Friday 13 to Sunday 15 September

Three days jam-packed with activities and events celebrating the abundant built, cultural and natural heritage of Portaferry.

Lots of local organisations are involved in this festival...

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Find out about all the events happening in and around Portaferry in this online festival brochure:

PORTAFERRY HERITAGE FEST DIGITAL BROCHURE

Natural heritage

Spread your wings and join Professor Alastair Ruffle on Windmill Hill for a live ‘Bird’s eye view of the formation of Strangford Lough’, showing how the ice ages created this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Kids can enjoy visiting the RNLI Open Day, finding out about the futuristic uses of seaweed at Queen’s Marine Laboratory or even eating it with ‘Foraging’ sessions along the shore. Or visit Exploris and enjoy the new ‘Under The Sea’ experience.

Built heritage

‘Drones, Stones and Ancient Bones’ with archaeologists Liam McQuillan (DfC) and Lisa White (QUB) explores the 5000 year old megalithic tomb at Millin Bay, using science to discover where these ancestors came from, how they died and even what they may have looked like!

Lots of Portaferry’s heritage buildings will be open, including the castle, and the Artisan Market (10am-2pm Sat & Sun) has soda bread making and weaving demonstrations.

Cultural heritage

Cultural heritage is celebrated with screenings of The McCooeys by Portaferry’s famed Joseph Tomelty with his granddaughter Hannah in conversation afterwards followed by a special remembrance walk.

At Portico, ‘The Loft Artists’ will exhibit paintings, prints and weavings and there’s three shows in its stunning heritage architecture. ‘Sean Donnelly’ is the ‘real folk voice of Northern Ireland’; ‘Spring Break’ will rock out 1980s musical heritage and The Kilkenny’s are bringing stomping Irish traditional music.

Maritime heritage

Maritime heritage abounds with boat tours, free skiff-rowing sessions and exhibitions across the town on ‘Shipwrecks & Saviours on the Lough’ and ‘The Men that made Portaferry’.

Heritage Fest events at Portico that need tickets - listed below!

These events at Portico require tickets. There are other events at Portico - talks and exhibitions - that do not require tickets. Please see the online brochure for more details.