Blog (Press Release) - Visit Derry

Derry City and Strabane District Council will kick off their 2023 Christmas celebrations this weekend when the eagerly anticipated Guildhall Craft Fair returns to the city.

Salem is a name that’s long been synonymous with Halloween, not to mention the supernatural arts, thanks to the notorious witch trials of 1692. The Trials sent a wave of hysteria through the community instilling fear and suspicion, followed by a cull of 19 so-called witches, with over 200 people accused of practicing witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts.

A senior business delegation led by US Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs, Joseph P. Kennedy, III, visited the North West this week as part of their wider Northern Ireland itinerary.

The Norwegian Star elegantly sailed into Lough Foyle this morning at 7am and anchored just off Greencastle. At 91,740 gross tonnage and 296m she is the biggest ever ship to anchor in the Lough. The arrival of the impressive ship marks the last of the 2023 cruise season for Foyle Port.

Derry City and Strabane District Council have announced that the Foyle Maritime Festival will return to Derry’s riverfront from Thursday 27^th until Sunday June 30^th 2024.

The Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Councillor Patricia Logue, unveiled a packed programme of family friendly events taking place in Strabane this Halloween. There are a whole host of activities and entertainment lined up for little trick or treaters and plenty to do and see out and about, from spooky storytelling to wicked workshops.

The Deputy Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Councillor Jason Barr, was joined by leading figures in the tourism industry for the relaunch of the Alley Visitor Information Centre in Strabane.

It’s been many months in the planning – but the curtain has finally been raised on the Derry Halloween programme for this year, with plenty of haunting highlights to keep everyone entertained from October 28^th – 31^st.

Derry city centre is set to be filled with music, song, dance, fashion and cuisine this Saturday as the North West Multicultural Festival - One World takes place in and around the Guildhall.

Derry’s Halloween plans are well and truly up in the air it was confirmed at today’s Business and Culture Committee meeting – as exciting plans for a dazzling drone display were unveiled.

Foyle Port welcomed brand new cruise ship Explora I to Lough Foyle today on her first ever visit to the island of Ireland.

Following last year’s success, Sperrins Walking makes a welcome return.  The programme will take place September, October 2023 and March 2024 across Sperrin Area of Outstanding Natural beauty (AONB).