Family friendly feel at festival

Sunflowerfest is the ‘must go to event’ of 2012 and centres around families, making it the one and only festival of its kind in Northern Ireland. Throughout the weekend there will be rock & roll football, kid’s music and dance workshops, face painting, story telling, sponge throwing, willow sculpting, clay modelling, circus and fire poi (without the fire) workshops, poetry, puppet shows, kids yoga and many fun games are planned in the Kidz zone, not forgetting the Narnia themed Enchanted Glade of Mystery and Surprises (you don’t want to miss this!) and the best thing is that most activities are free, with some workshops asking a nominal fee. Kids 12 years and under are free (max. 2 per adult).

Sunflowerfest will also offer a wide range of complementary therapies for all in the Sunflower Bliss area. These include group yoga and meditation sessions on the Saturday and Sunday prior to the music starting, kids yoga, massage and plenty of free hugs on offer, making Sunflowerfest a relaxing experience for all.

There will be quirky stalls at the craft and boutique village with gourmet food stalls from around the world. A new addition to this area will be the Love Music Hate Racism music tent, which will have some very special guests dropping in.

For those night owls there will be a late night Silent Disco and Cinema Tent, firm favourites from previous years.

Weekend tickets + Camping priced at £49 are available now from HMV Belfast and Lisburn Stores and at The Belfast Welcome Centre. Tickets are also available online at HMV. There will be a separate family campsite provided.

Sunflowerfest is a volunteer based festival. From its inception Sunflowerfest has been building a dedicated team of volunteers. This year there will be roles for around 100 volunteers. Anyone who would like to get involved with the festival can fill in an application form on the website. It is a very rewarding experience and a good way of learning new skills, meeting new people and being part of a fantastic experience.

Sunflowerfest kindly acknowledges the assistance of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, Lisburn City Council and Oxfam Ireland in this year’s event. For more information please visit: www.sunflowerfest.co.uk.