Holiday Attractions & Events

NewcastleGateshead will launch its first festival for children and young people this weekend, showcasing a mouth-watering range of performances, events, activities and workshops with something for all ages from 0 to 18. Juice will run from 27 September – 30 November and is a highlight of NewcastleGateshead’s world-class programme of festivals and events for 2008, developed by culture10.

If you’ve had enough of the humdrum of working life or recently graduated and are looking for your next big adventure then the 2009 Land Rover ‘Go Beyond’ Bursary run by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) could be the perfect antidote for aspiring adventurers.

Sailing enthusiasts from around the world are already gathering in Alicante as the countdown to the 10th edition of the Volvo Ocean Race begins. The world’s premier offshore yachting event will set off from Alicante on 11 October - the first time this prestigious race starts from a Mediterranean port.

For motor sport fans feeling the need for a bit of ‘fuel injection’ over the winter months Grandstand Motor Sports (grandstandmotorsports.co.uk) has put together the perfect winning formula with an exclusive five-night package for UK fans to the prestigious Rolex 24 At Daytona in Daytona Beach, Florida from 21- 27 January 2009.

Visitors to Byrkley Garden Centre will discover more than just plants, trees and shrubs as they browse, but can now explore a ‘forest in the making’. The extensive garden centre has teamed up with the National Forest Company to install facilities with information on the centre and the growing forest.

Hometown of acts like Arcade Fire, The Dears and Broken Social Scene you can see why NME has dubbed Montreal “one of the most fertile hot beds of music on the planet”. There will be the occasional superstar and breakthrough act, but most of all Pop Montreal is where you will see the headliners of the future play to their first excited crowds in old theatres, churches, loft spaces and intimate venues around Montreal.

The Borders Banquet is a 10-day celebration of the best restaurants, the best chefs and the best locally produced ingredients available in the Scottish Borders. This year, due to popular demand, the Borders Banquet is being held in November and the specially prepared menus and events showcasing the finest local produce and eateries are expected to be more popular than ever.

Opening the eyes and minds of the nation, this month’s Open House London showcases the best designs and buildings in the Capital. London’s architectural environment is reflected by the almost 700 buildings and architectural walks and talks featured over the weekend of Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 September 2008, each encouraging visitors and locals alike to explore and re-examine their opinions of the iconic city.

More than 1,000 Magicians from around the world are about to descend on Eastbourne as the International Brotherhood of Magicians conference gets underway next week.

For whiskey lovers, adrenaline junkies, entertainment addicts, sports enthusiasts or those in need of a break, Northern Ireland has everything. Here are just a few reasons to hot foot it there later in 2008...

Journey Stateside from Dublin with American Sky this November to the bright lights of Las Vegas and witness Ricky Hatton take on Paulie Malignaggi for the IBF Light-Welterweight Championship Belt.

Riders from all over the world whizzed down the new super fast Beachy Head road this weekend as Canadian Scott ‘Scoot’ Smith was crowned the International Gravity Sports Association (IGSA) third World Cup Series winner at Eastbourne’s Go Fast! Speed Days. Riders came from across the globe to compete in the second ever UK leg of the IGSA World Cup event this weekend, with 160 competitors travelling from as far as Australia, Brazil and the USA to take part.

Halloween offers the perfect excuse to book a spooky weekend and if you are not free on 31 October there are plenty of other dates to choose from. All Haunting Breaks include an overnight stay in a beautiful haunted location, dinner and breakfast the following morning plus a unique, professionally run paranormal experience with ghost hunting, dowsing, séances, table tipping and glass divination.

Caribbean Carnival spirit will reign in Dominica this autumn as dancehall superstar Sean Paul headlines the island’s biggest music festival ahead of celebrations to mark Dominica’s 30th anniversary of Independence.

A new Ordnance Survey map has just been published which charts in full the latest developments in The National Forest. It marks the increase in woodland since the previous 2005 edition of the map from 16% to nearly 18% over the 200 square miles of the Forest.

Londoners looking for a free party this Sunday should head to Trafalgar Square for the annual Simcha on the Square festival. Open to all ages, races, religions and backgrounds, this free event is a celebration of Jewish culture, where guests can enjoy live music, art, traditional foods and special dance performances.

The late George Harrison will be honoured at Liverpool’s Beatles Story in September with the arrival of a unique and rather controversial piece of memorabilia. The banjolele (which has the body of a banjo with the neck of a ukulele) was sold at auction in June 2008 and has kindly been donated to the Beatles Story by a collector who wished this historic item to be on show and give pleasure to Harrison fans.

Two Lake District attractions have had a ‘train-storming’ session to devise a streamlined schedule of fun for all the family over the weekend of September 20-21. The Lakes Aquarium and its neighbouring attraction, the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway, are hosting From Steam To Stream, an event returning by popular demand.

Even though the summer was disappointing for many, the National Forest Company is urging people to get out into the woodlands and enjoy nature’s autumn finale. Already the leaves are turning red and gold with their final dazzling display of colour before the bleak winter months set in.

Everyone will find something attractive at Poland's stand during the Mayor’s Thames Festival. You can make your own pottery supervised by a professional Polish potter, watch Polish knights staging a medieval sword duel, admire presentations and performances by traditional Polish folk artists, dancers and singers.

A newly launched golf academy on Spain’s Costa Daurada has been set up to provide the next Padraig Harrington or Ian Poulter with supreme training facilities to develop their talents all year round.

Eastbourne Bandstand plays stage to a very special Tribute concert this Friday as Rocky Horror and Meatloaf bring the venue alive with their unique rock sounds. The first ever Rocky Horror tribute at Eastbourne Bandstand will see audiences enjoying all the hits such as Damn It, Janet, Sweet Transvestite and the famous Time Warp.

More than 300 MG cars will rev up on the Western Lawns this Sunday after travelling 80 miles all the way from Chichester in the 19th annual South Downs Run.

Those fascinated by phantoms, curious about the uncanny and spellbound by the paranormal should look at the evocative video of UK holiday company Haunting Breaks on travelguru.tv.

Thick fog is settling over fallen leaves, weird creatures are lurking in dark corners and eerie laughter makes the visitors shiver with fear – Halloween has come to Europa-Park! From 27 September to 2 November more than 150,000 pumpkins and 200 skeletons will transform Germany’s biggest theme park into a creepy Halloween landscape where scary witches, goblins, ghosts and demons gather for spooky roller coaster rides including a truly terrifying ride inside a giant pumpkin.

Join in the festivities for a unique experience of contemporary history in the middle of Europe and experience Germany’s most recent history. In 2009, Germany is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Naturally, the capital has the highest concentration of monuments and memorial sites. However, the history of East Germany and the Cold War can also be explored in other parts of the country.

Amaze your staff, clients or friends with a Christmas party they will never forget from paranormal specialists, Haunting Breaks. Haunting Breaks’ truly unique parties offer many guests once in a lifetime experiences including: a professional ghost hunt, a séance hosted by a medium and the chance to contact the spirits via a glass or using a table. Guests are also taught how to dowse with crystals and rods.

On Tuesday, 2 September, at the AA Centenary awards in London, Peter Egli, General Manager and Martin Burge, Head Chef at Whatley Manor, the beautifully restored grade ll listed Wiltshire manor house hotel, received a much coveted AA Four Rosette award from the celebrity chef James Martin.

Join City Cruises, onboard the M.V. Millennium of London, on the 13th September 2008 and take part in the Thames Pageant. Part of the Mayor's Thames Festival, the Thames Pageant sees river users of all kinds join together in a colourful river display. The event runs from Greenwich to Westminster and back and includes users of the river from working tugs and steam tugs to private yachts, fireboats, pleasure boats and Livery company vessels.