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food-drink · Saturday 8 August 2026 · Various 
Whitehead Food & Folk Fest
At Castleview Road Recreation Grounds · Castleview Road, Whitehead, Co. Antrim
At Castleview Road Recreation Grounds · Castleview Road, Whitehead, Co. Antrim
Every August, the Castleview Road Recreation Grounds in Whitehead fill up with the smell of street food, the sound of live folk music, and the kind of easy Saturday afternoon that is hard to plan and easy to stumble into. The Whitehead Food & Folk Fest is put on by Mid & East Antrim Borough Council, it costs nothing to get through the gate, and it runs from midday to six - long enough to eat well, listen to a few sets, and let the children wear themselves out before the drive home. It suits families, couples, and anyone who fancies a day out on the Antrim coast without paying festival prices.
The recreation grounds host a spread of local food stalls alongside a dedicated beer tent serving artisan beers and cider. The food offer leans into local producers - expect a mix of hot food and artisan fare rather than a generic street-food row. A picnic area gives you somewhere to sit and eat without queuing for a table.
Live folk music plays throughout the day, with sets running from arrival time through to the late afternoon. For families with young children, bouncy castles and fairground attractions keep things lively at the edges of the main area. Toilets are on site, and the grounds are accessible to disabled visitors. On-site parking is available for those driving in.
Whitehead sits on the Belfast to Larne railway line, and the station is a short walk from the recreation grounds via Chester Avenue. Trains run regularly from Belfast Great Victoria Street and Belfast Lanyon Place; the journey takes around 35 minutes. Translink summer travel discounts apply on the day, which makes the train the sensible choice if you are coming from Belfast. By road, Whitehead is about 17 miles north-east of Belfast city centre, well signposted off the A2 along the Causeway Coastal Route. Parking is available at the venue itself.
Whitehead is a compact Victorian seaside town on the northern shore of Belfast Lough, with a promenade walk and the Blackhead Coastal Path for anyone who wants to stretch their legs after the festival. The Whitehead Railway Museum - home to the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland’s working steam collection - is worth the visit if you have time; steam train rides run along the siding on summer Saturdays. There is more to see in Whitehead and across Co. Antrim.
Heading to Castleview Road Recreation Grounds in Whitehead? Antrim has plenty more to see. Read the Whitehead area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.