Mayo’s most anticipated food festival finishes off a busy summer calendar of festivals and events in the county with a weekend menu of wild Atlantic seafood foraging, outdoor cooking demos, children's cooking classes, craft beer brewing, and Ballina’s own whiskey and poitin distilling as part of this year’s Food Fleadh Ballina 2017 celebrations.
Ballina Chamber of Commerce, Mayo North Promotions Office, Failte Ireland, and Mayo County Council have announced the return of this very popular event for its fourth year. Food Fleadh Ballina takes place over the weekend of August 26 and 27 with the main event, the Food Fleadh Market, kicking off at 9am Saturday, August 26, running late into the evening.
The unique highlight of this food event is its prime location, Ballina’s town centre Military barracks; featuring Ireland's only outdoor town centre covered space with a circus theme tent, ensuring Saturdays events are not weather dependent.
Highlights over this foodie-themed weekend include the Friday night opening night gathering at Belleek Castle’s recently renovated ‘Jack Fenn’ courtyard, welcoming all to a celebratory barbecue featuring locally sourced meats and seafood from north Mayo. A Food Fleadh Market on Saturday hosting 40 stalls; sample the culinary specialities of Ballina and Mayo north’s gastro bars and restaurants, support local farmers and meet independent food producers. There will also be back to back live cooking demos featuring the region's favourite chefs. You can also sample the flavours of the cocktail demos from Ireland's award winning top mixologists based in Ballina’s top bars. There is also a Meet the Maker event featuring your favourite butchers, bakers, and organic gardens. The inaugural ‘Yeast Meets West’ Craft Brew Fest in the Military Barracks Bar, features breweries of the Wild Atlantic Way and a Kids’ Corner features the ever-popular children's cooking classes, arts and crafts workshop, and cookie dressing and sea shore foraging trips along the wild Atlantic Mayo coastline with experienced cultural guide Denis Quinn.
The weekend will also include a whiskey appreciation night, charity tea dance in aid of the Mayo Roscommon Hospice, and a night in the Auld Shebeen enjoying the delicacies of Betty's unforgettable Homemade Boxty. There is still an opportunity to book a stand for the Food Fleadh Market, contact Ballina Tourist Office (096 ) 72800, further information about Food Fleadh 2017 is available at www.ballina.ie
