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family · Thursday 9 July 2026 · 1:00pm 
Belfast City Council Summer Fun Days in Parks 2026
At Various Belfast City Parks · Various parks, Belfast, Co. Antrim
At Various Belfast City Parks · Various parks, Belfast, Co. Antrim
Every Thursday through July and into August, Belfast City Council takes over a different city park and hands it over to families for an afternoon of free activities. Five parks host the Summer Fun Days series between 9 July and 20 August 2026, with each event running from 1pm to 4pm. It is the kind of afternoon that needs no planning and costs nothing - just turn up, let the kids loose, and stay as long as you like.
Each event is set up with children aged 5 to 12 in mind, though younger siblings tend to find plenty to enjoy too. Activities on the day include face-painting, balloon-modelling, summer crafts, lawn games, bouncy castles, and walkabout entertainers moving through the crowd. Artisan market stalls selling local crafts and produce give adults something to browse while the children run off energy.
The five parks in the 2026 series are spread right across the city:
No two parks are the same. Falls Park is a broad open space on the slopes beneath Black Mountain, used year-round for walking and junior parkrun. Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park in the south of the city is known for its rose gardens and wide lawns. Orangefield in the east sits beside the Connswater Community Greenway. Between them the series gives a real cross-section of what Belfast’s green spaces offer.
Belfast is easily reached by road from across the north - the M1 from Dublin and the M2 from the north coast both feed into the city centre. From Dublin, the journey by road is roughly two hours; Enterprise train services run between Connolly Station and Belfast Lanyon Place several times daily and take around two hours too.
Each park on the series is served by Translink Metro bus routes from Belfast city centre. Metro is frequent and affordable; routes vary by park, so check the Translink journey planner at translink.co.uk before you travel. Parking is available at all five parks, though it fills quickly on a sunny Thursday afternoon - arriving by 12.30pm gives you the best chance of a spot.
An afternoon in a Belfast park fits naturally into a longer visit to the city. The Ulster Museum in the Botanic Gardens is free to enter and works well for families. The city centre waterfront at Lagan Weir is a short walk from most bus routes. There is more to see in Belfast and across Co. Antrim.
Heading to Various Belfast City Parks in Belfast? Antrim has plenty more to see. Read the Belfast area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.