Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council Health and Recreation Department
FAMILY ADVENTURE FOR THE MAY BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND
With three bank holidays in May, you’ll need plenty of activities to keep everyone entertained. Read on for our round-up of ideas and inspiration to get the whole family active and enjoying the great outdoors!
Please check out Bank Holiday Monday opening hours for our indoor and outdoor leisure facilities here.
May weekend adventure at South Lake Watersports, Craigavon
Something to wet the appetite for the bank holidays!
The spring sunshine and rising temperatures will put you in the mood for some very cool activities with our team at South Lake Watersports
Our two-day RYA Level 2 Learn to Powerboat Saturday 27 & Sunday 28 May 2023 | 9am – 5pm
Book in-person at reception desk at South Lake Watersports for kayak, canoe and paddleboard hire .
Cafe Incredable at South Lake is open for indoor dining after your water adventure!
Family Splash & Flumes at Banbridge Leisure Centre
Make a day of it and follow the Banbridge Riverside Walk to our free-to-use Urban Sports Facility at nearby Solitude Park. Let your older kids face the challenges of London gap ledges, a wallie penny, practicing “ollies” and grinding on the flat rails and ledges while the younger kids enjoy an amazing play park.
Saturday Snowtubing and Weekend FootGolf
If you haven’t tried both sports before, then visit Craigavon Golf & Ski Centre this bank holiday weekend to discover what you’re missing! Essentially, snowtubing is not complicated, you just fly down the slope on an inflatable ring…what’s not to like!
FootGolf is football and golf combined to create the best game you will ever play! Playing over 18 holes with a size 5 football promises no end of bank holiday fun for everyone in the family!
The Alpine Lodge Restaurant has plenty of tasty treats and lunches to energise the gang!
Orchard Path at Loughgall Country Park
May is the time when nature spreads its own confetti across the apple orchards in Loughgall Country Park and the striking pink blossoms blanketing the rows of apple trees is a sight you don’t want to miss!
Walk or cycle the Orchard Path trail, fish, golf, play tennis or explore the two play parks, the choice is endless at this much-loved park.
The baristas at Glaze & Roll will be serving their amazing coffee and new deli range at the park over the bank holiday weekends, including the very on-trend Matcha and Turmeric which are going down a storm, both available iced and hot.
With the summer stretching ahead, why not consider an annual parking pass for Gosford Forest Park and Loughgall Country Park and Golf Course?
Gulliver's Soft Play Adventure
Plunge into ball pools, bounce over stepping stones, scale scramble nets and dash across the balance beam at Gulliver’s Soft Play at Orchard Leisure Centre! For a great activity morning, combine with a swim session and lunch in Café Olympus
Climb The Wall & Walk By The River
The climbing wall at Gilford Community Centre is open Fri, Sat and Sun over the bank holiday weekend if you really want the family to view life from above this bank holiday!
The climbing wall is part of the getactiveabc membership packages and free to book for members by telephoning the centre.
Why not venture then along the Gilford Riverside Walk, a scenic trail that links Gilford Community Centre to the attractive Woodlands Park, offering great views of the historic Gilford Mill along the way. Enjoy the play park, football pitch and a basketball net at Woodlands and the trim trail, picnic tables, pump track and interpretive panels along the route. Check out the canoe landings and beginners’ canoe slalom course.
Enjoy Striking Views At Oxford Island
The Meadow Trail is a 3.5 mile loop exploring Kinnego Marina and Oxford Island National Nature Reserve. Discover wildlife in the ponds and wildflower meadows, spend time boat gazing and enjoying the great play park at Kinnego, and then more adventure as the kids play wild at the new state-of-the-art Oxford Island Play Park!
The Galley Cafe at Kinnego Marina and The Loughside Cafe at Lough Neagh Discovery Centre will both be open for indoor dining, offering a variety of hot beverages, homemade tray bakes, scones and pastries, all to be enjoyed with some incredible views over Lough Neagh!
Bank Holiday Camping & Caravanning
Looking for a royal retreat? Why not celebrate King Charles’ Coronation Weekend and make the most of the warmer weather with a family getaway to one of our three fabulous camping, caravanning and glamping parks.
Enjoy the stunning views of Lough Neagh at Kinnego Marina, revel in the the riot of seasonal colour at Gosford Forest Park and get lost in the bluebell woods of Clare Glen.
At Gosford, Barista Express will be serving its delicious coffee, scrumptious traybakes and deli selection. Along with its accompanying hot and cold food kiosk, and ice cream trailer, Express Catering will have something for everyone, whether you are looking for a quick bite to eat or treating the family to a more substantial meal.
The Galley Cafe at Kinnego will also be serving a delicious and extensive hot food menu throughout the holiday period and is looking forward to catching up with all the returning campers and caravanners as the new season kicks off!
Stay The #RightSideOfOutside
Whether you are visiting the amazing adventure play trails, family mountain bike trails and pump track at Gosford Forest Park or enjoying tennis, walking trails and a fantastic play park at Lurgan Park, we encourage everyone to stay on the ‘Right Side of Outside’
Enjoy the May bank holiday weekends everyone!