Taste Autumn in Ards and North Down

Friday 5 - Sunday 28 September 2025

Various locations, featuring Tide and Turf Food Festival, Portavogie

A showcase of local food and drink with a series of seasonal foodie-themed events and Tide and Turf Portavogie on Saturday 6 September celebrating local delicacies. Programme highlights will also include Stargazing at Ballyhalbert's Burr Point, Demo and Dine, a unique dining experience at Portavogie Harbour.

Programme coming soon!

Enjoy this celebration of land and sea and savour the season with delicious local produce. Enjoy authentic food and drink experiences showcasing unique venues and our local food heroes.

Please note: Menus for some elements of the Taste Ards and North Down food programme are seasonal and subject to change without advance notice. For information contact the host venue for the specific foodie experience that you are interested in.

Recipe inspiration

Food demonstrations and unique foodie experiences make up the programme and we want to inspire you with some dishes you can try for yourself at home, which have kindly been provided by our local chefs, producers and SERC lecturers, and may feature at some of the events - Taste Autumn Recipes

Make a Break of it and Stay a While

Stay a while and take a break on our shores. Relax in the beauty of this place, offering everything from 5 star luxury to cosy guest houses or unique self-catering options, maybe camping and caravanning is more your thing, let us help you plan your perfect getaway.

Find out more in our Plan Your Trip section.

Keep up to date

For more inspiration and tips on how to make the most of your trip sign up to our newsletter.

Please note:

Online booking fees apply where relevant. None when booking in person or by phone via our Visitor Information Centres.

[Details subject to change. This event is being photographed/filmed. Images may be used in Ards and North Down Borough Council promotional material. If you do not want your image to be used, please inform our event staff].

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Taste and Enjoy....

Demo and Dine 2025 with Anna Haugh

Part of the Taste Autumn in Ards and North Down Programme, this is a unique dining experience with celebrity chef Anna Haugh at Portavogie Harbour - enjoy welcome drinks and canapes, interactive starters, and main course platters followed by dessert.
Stargazing at Burr Point

Part of Taste Autumn in AND | Experience the incredible starry skies above Burr Point, the most easterly point on the island. Astronomers from the Northern Ireland Amateur Astronomy Society will be on hand with their telescopes ready to explore the planets and galaxies above.
Tide and Turf Portavogie

A celebration of local delicacies, located at the heart of the fishing industry at Portavogie docks. Part of Taste Autumn.
Chilli Festival 2025

Part of Taste Autumn in AND | Things are hotting up in Bangor Castle Walled Garden for the Chilli Festival in September, showcasing many different varieties of chilli plants from around the world, local food producers, live music, activities for all ages and lots of fun!
1. 13 Sep 202514 Sep 2025
Taste Donaghadee Food and Drink Tour

Part of Taste Autumn in AND | This is a food tour with a difference. Taste Donaghadee celebrates all that is divine about this beacon of great taste which also has a gloriously rich history to explore. This tour will allow you to visit and taste the full 360 degrees of Donaghadee's contemporary offering with just a little traditional seaside nostalgia served up on the side.
1. 16 Aug 2025
2. 20 Sep 2025
Taste AND at Bangor Castle

Part of Taste Autumn in AND | A two-day family-friendly market event will showcase the best artisan produce from Ards and North Down
1. 27 Sep 202528 Sep 2025

More foodie events...

Tour and Tipple at Echlinville

Part of Taste Autumn in AND | The Echlinville Distillery Tour and Tipple offers offer a unique insight into the workings of our family run farm distillery.
1. 6 Sep 2025
2. 20 Sep 2025
The Copeland Experience

Part of Taste Autumn in AND | Come and experience a tour the distillery, taste Copeland's award winning spirits, learn about the way they make their gins, rums and whiskeys and hear about the stories of smuggling and seized contraband in the local area!
1. 6 Sep 2025
2. 13 Sep 2025
3. 20 Sep 2025
4. 27 Sep 2025
Sunset Paddle and BBQ

Part of Taste Autumn in AND | Guided Kayak Tour and sumptuous island BBQ
1. 10 Sep 2025
CS Lewis Afternoon Tea & Movie

Part of Taste Autumn in AND | Step through the wardrobe and enjoy a C.S. Lewis-themed Afternoon Tea and movie screening of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, all set within the historic surroundings of The Old Inn, Crawfordsburn, which dates back to 1614 and is labelled as one of the region’s most historic hotels due in part to its links with author and 20th Century Literary icon C.S. Lewis.
1. 13 Sep 2025
End of Summer BBQ

Part of Taste Autumn in AND | Enjoy a relaxed BBQ event at Cloud 9 to sign off the summer. Sharing starters, choice of main from the BBQ, with meats supplied by Orr's family butcher, sharing sides and sharing desserts
1. 12 Sep 2025
Electric Picnic

Part of Taste Autumn in AND | Guided E Bike Tour and Artisan Picnic
1. 14 Sep 2025
An Evening with Peter Corry

Part of Taste Autumn in AND | Join Peter Corry on Friday 19th September at Orange Tree House for an unforgettable evening of music and exquisite dining. Enjoy an intimate performance paired with a curated three-course menu featuring the finest local ingredients.
1. 19 Sep 2025
Cult Plant-Based Cheese pairing night

Part of Taste Autumn in AND | An evening sampling plant-based cheese and matched accompaniments in the surroundings of our new production facility in Bangor.
1. 25 Sep 2025
Autumn Wine Night

Part of Taste Autumn in AND | Enjoy a cosy evening of fine wine and flavour at The Old Inn, Crawfordsburn celebrating autumn with a carefully curated tasting menu. Each dish, designed by Executive Head Chef Andy Turner, showcases the best of the season, beautifully balanced plates that pair effortlessly with their sommelier's hand-picked autumn French wines.
1. 25 Sep 2025
Stories and Supper at the Ulster Folk Museum

Part of Taste Autumn in AND | Celebrate the harvest season with an evening of seasonal food curated by Lightfoot Kitchen and Deli, followed by a tour of the working farm kitchen, then folklore and storytelling in the cosy (and licensed) pub!
1. 27 Sep 2025
Stack'd Wednesdays

Part of Taste Autumn AND | Stack'd Wednesday Special
1. 9 Jul 202531 Oct 2025
'Devine Hours' Happy hours

Part of Taste Autumn AND | Happy hour promotions
1. 9 Jul 202531 Oct 2025
Food and Drink Markets

Part of Taste Autumn in AND | Explore local delicacies and artisan produce from one of the local markets such as the weekly Newtownards Market every Saturday, Bangor Market every Wednesday and monthly markets like Portaferry Market on the Square.
Some Fresh Farm Shop Goes Online

Part of Taste Autumn in AND | To celebrate the launch of the new Some Fresh Farm Shop Online Store we are delighted to team up with Ards and North Down's "Taste Autumn" campaign.
1. 5 Sep 202528 Sep 2025