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food-drink · Thursday 2 July 2026 · 11:00am 
NI Food & Craft Festival - Antrim
At The Junction Retail and Leisure Park · Junction One, Antrim, Co. Antrim, BT41 4LL
At The Junction Retail and Leisure Park · Junction One, Antrim, Co. Antrim, BT41 4LL
The Northern Ireland Food & Craft Festival brings the best of local producers, food trucks and artisan makers to Antrim across the first weekend of July 2026. Organised jointly by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, Urban Events NI and The Junction, this is a free public event that has quickly built a following as one of the better food weekends in the north. It suits families, food enthusiasts and anyone who wants to spend a relaxed couple of hours browsing good produce without paying admission.
The main showcase runs at The Junction Retail and Leisure Park, with over 40 stalls from local and artisan food and drink producers. Expect everything from craft condiments and baked goods to cheeses, preserves and locally roasted coffee. Cooking demonstrations run alongside the stalls, and a selection of award-winning food trucks means there is plenty to eat on the spot rather than just take home.
The festival also extends beyond The Junction to Antrim Castle Gardens, where a Taste of NI Garden Party sets up in the grounds - food curated from Northern Ireland producers, a craft bar stocked with local favourites, and live music in a genuinely attractive outdoor setting. A free shuttle bus connects The Junction to Antrim town centre and the Castle Gardens, so you can move between the two sites without needing the car again.
For children, a creative zone and pop-up urban farm add something beyond the food stalls. Some ticketed workshop activities - such as Lego and clay sessions - cost around £3 per child, but the rest of the event is entirely free.
Antrim sits just off the M2 motorway at Junction 1, roughly 30 minutes north of Belfast. The Junction Retail and Leisure Park is directly at that motorway exit, making it one of the easier festival venues in Northern Ireland to reach by car. Free parking is available on site.
By public transport, Antrim train station is served by regular services on the Belfast - Derry/Londonderry line and is about a 15-minute walk from The Junction, or you can pick up the free shuttle bus that connects the town centre to the festival site.
Antrim Castle Gardens are worth a visit in their own right - formal gardens on the banks of the Six Mile Water, largely restored and free to enter - and the festival’s Garden Party element makes them part of the weekend programme. There is more to see in Antrim and across Co. Antrim.
Heading to The Junction Retail and Leisure Park in Antrim? Antrim has plenty more to see. Read the Antrim area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.