Recognised as one of Northern Ireland’s landmark events and one of the top 10 food festivals in the world, the Hillsborough Oyster Festival (www.hillsboroughoysterfestival.com) will be held in Hillsborough village, known for its beautiful Georgian architechture, between August 30 and September 4, 2016. In its 24th year, the festival programme includes the World Oyster Eating Championship, the Oysters Masters Golf Day, the Pearl and Oyster Ball, Super Car Sunday and the Soapbox Derby. Hillsborough is about 20km from Belfast and it takes around 40 minutes to reach the venue from the Belfast International Airport. Hillsborough can also be reached in an hour and a half from Dublin Airport.