Making Festival

Celebrate our local crafts, heritage skills and traditions at the two-day Folk Museum Making Festival

Date

Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th August

Time

10:00 to 17:00

Makers, crafters and DIY-ers, the Folk Museum Making Festival returns on Saturday 17th August & Sunday 18th August for a weekend of craft demonstrations, hands-on activities, musical performances and film screenings.

*demonstrators may vary to those shown in the video of last year's event

Here at the Ulster Folk Museum, we're passionate about preserving and celebrating our roots - the heritage, traditions and skills of our past. As we approach our 60th anniversary, it's time to 'reawaken' our museum. We're working in association with the Construction Industry Training Board NI (CITB NI) to honour traditional crafts and heritage skills close to home.

Making Festival Tickets

Book tickets for 17th & 18th August here - choose from Saturday tickets, Sunday tickets, Two-Day tickets and discounted Green tickets.

About Tickets

Day tickets, green tickets and two-day tickets are available.
All makers will be at both days of the festival so you have the opportunity to see everything if visiting for one day only. With so much to see and do, we recommend getting down early so you can catch as much as possible!
Since there's so much to see and do, we've put on a discounted two-day ticket so you can enjoy the festival across two days at your leisure.
Want to travel a greener way? Take public transport to the Making Festival and get 20% discounted tickets! Green tickets can be purchased in advance of the festival - all you need to do is book your green ticket and bring a valid public transport ticket to the admissions desk on entry, or full price will be charged.
Please note, tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable
Please note, parking is free but limited so we encourage you, where possible, to take public transport and avail of our discounted Green ticket.

a red haired woman working with leather in a red apron

Meet the Makers

With over 25 demonstrators at the festival, you can rediscover past skills from thatching, blacksmithing and stained glass making to dry-stone walling, lime washing, and stone masonry. Fashion fans can watch leatherworkers, shoemakers, goldsmiths, and silversmiths in action - not to forget the wool weaver and craft guilds showcasing their talents.

Hands-On Activities

There's plenty of opportunities to get involved with hands-on crafts like cyanotype printing, mini bodhran making, and clay cottage making.

A man playing the fiddle in mccuskers pub

Performances, Screenings & Exhibitions

Listen to traditional musicians, pipe bands, weaving songs and the Armagh Rhymers, plus screenings in the Picture House. With activities for all ages, come along to the Folk Museum Making Festival as we revive our treasured heritage skills and traditions.

In partnership with Construction Industry Training Board Northern Ireland (CITB NI), The Conservation Volunteers, Queen's University Belfast, The National Built Heritage Service, Historic Environmental Division (HED), Craft NI and An Droichead.

“…Without understanding the past, how can we hope to plan for the future?”

Estyn Evans, 1942

Founding trustee of the Ulster Folk Museum

Making Festival Tickets

Get tickets to the Folk Museum Making Festival (17th & 18th August) here

Explore more

Two women in old fashioned clothing walking with a donkey in the countryside

Information

Reawakening the Ulster Folk Museum

An exciting project to revive the museum's role in today's society, helping to promote ways of living that are in harmony with both nature and one's neighbour.