Hi Hi,

CHRISTMAS VIBES ARE IN THE AIR! With that being said I thought I could share some fun Christmassy events that are on to get you in the Christmas spirit!

Christmas Markets:

Of course we all know and love the Belfast Christmas Markets & you can best believe I will be going up for a nosey! But here’s a few things you might not know… Derry hosts the Walled City Markets!!! These are on during December 3rd, 16th and 18th. The whole vibe of these markets is about artisan foods and handmade crafts from local businesses & in my experience much less stressful than the Belfast set up. By all means I love both but if you fancy something that’s still got that Christmas bustling energy going on around you but not chaotic people pushing past you, Derry could be a better option this year!

Antrim Enchanted Winter Gardens:

This was one of the first things that I booked for us to do this Christmas (tickets are £7.50 per adult)! We’ve never been but we love the Antrim Castle Gardens throughout the year & love the idea of it being jazzed up for the festivities. On the website, they talk about the activities to expect including: The wonderland wood walk, festive food fayre, a sea of lights and the street theatre. Does this not just sound magical? Picture it… happed up in all your cosy winter clothes, winter boots and long socks on, wandering around the activities, hot chocolate in hand and soaking it all up in the moment. I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS! Make sure to follow my instagram to see how it goes! It’s being hosted from November 26th-December 20th, so if this sounds like a bit of you snatch yourself a ticket before it sells out (it sold out last year)!

Christmas Lights:

I mean like I could be bias but Derry really does have the best Christmas lights display in my humble opinion. Last year we had the loveliest date night, both walking and driving around the Christmas lights! We parked at Ebrington car park and grabbed a kinder hot chocolate at the Embankment (in Ebrington Square). Once we had our deliciously festive hot chocolates in hand, we made our way down to the giant Christmas tree in Ebrington Square. Then head over the Peace Bridge, which is a beautiful walk at night time on a normal day… but when it’s Christmas it just feels more magical. Once you reach the far side of the bridge you’ll begin to see all the cute Christmas light displays beside City Hall… DO NOT MISS THESE!!! You can walk through these and actually get pictures inside some of them too! This part was definitely up there with my favourite things we done last year. Just to finish off the lovely dander around, head up to Shipquay street! I always say the street lights they put up here feels like something you would see in a Christmas film!!! The entire street be’s glistening with warm white lights the whole way up the steep (very steep lol) street. Just as a wee side note, up this street you’ll find the craft village & again it is absolutely beautiful to walk around. It has a very airy fairy feel to it all year round, but something about the extra lights and Christmas magic just makes it feel so cosy. I LOVE IT !!! Lil plus to all this is: it’s FREE.

Christmas Classics in the Cinema:

Some say I’m mad paying to go to the cinema to see my favourite Christmas films in the cinema… but do I care? Absolutely not. If your a regular reader you’ll know I rave about having an Omniplex ‘Omnipass‘ (it’s a £9.99pm subscription which allows you to see as many films as you fancy). Omniplex is showing Home Alone from December 9th-15th & Muppets Christmas Carol from December 2nd-8th! For a start I love being at the cinema in general. Soooo, when they are showing Home Alone on the big screen, with the recliners and opportunity to get a bag of popcorn to munch on while watching, you can bet I am all over it lol. It makes a fab date night or an even better night with the girls! Maybe go for some Christmas shopping and a wee bite to eat before hand, then finish your day off chilling out in the cinema watching a Christmas film… you can’t beat that?

Christmas Platter:

This has become a Christmas tradition for me over the last couple of years! My friend Hannah makes thee best cheeseboards & I can honestly contribute nothing towards this other than simply enjoying it lol. She is a legend for it. We’ll cosy up on the sofa, with a Christmas movie or music incidentally in the background adding to the atmosphere & give each other our presents! I have no words to describe how warm and fuzzy it makes me feel even thinking about doing this… For me personally it just makes gift giving more personal and takes away that idea that you have to buy to someone for the sake of buying. I hate that. I love being able to enjoy the moment with my friends and family. Especially when there’s tasty food to enjoy along with it! Last year, I purchased a festive afternoon tea box from Berry Blush (Emma is based in Dungiven area for anyone who wants to order) & enjoyed it with my Granny! I don’t have the creative skills mastered yet for the art of making a food board/box, so I accepted my limits and bought one… I AM SO GLAD I DID!!! We absolutely loved every single bite we had & even had leftovers for the next day. 10/10 recommend either options of getting creative or supporting a local business to enjoy some good food & relish in the festive goodness with your friends or family !

All in all this wraps up some things you can do over the Christmas season & for the most part they are FREE or reasonably priced! There is definitely loads more things on & I would love to hear all about them in the comments!

CYA x