Busy Christmas season planned for Marble Arch Caves
29th November 2021
One of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s flagship tourism attractions, Marble Arch Caves Visitor Centre, has unveiled a bumper programme of Christmas festive activities and reasons to visit.
On Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 December, the Visitor Centre will hold a “Meet the Maker” event with lots of ideas for Christmas gifts for loved ones and friends.
Saturday 4 December, will see local artist Catherine Swan displaying her stunning artwork with a selection of framed pieces available to buy and bring home in time for Christmas. Local ceramicist, Rachel Leary, will be at the Vicitors Centre on Sunday 5 December and visitors will have the opportunity to engage Rachel and hear about the inspiration behind her beautiful pieces which make a great gift.
Pre-prepared gift hampers and free gift-wrapping service will be available throughout the weekend to take some of the Christmas shopping stresses away. Also running across the weekend are bookable Christmas wreath sessions with two of our very own talented Marble Arch Caves team, our Ranger Kate will take you on a walk to forage for natural material from the woodland and back in the Centre our keen crafter Claire will help you create your very own unique wreath to take home.
To relax and re-energise, the café will be open and serving hot drinks, treats and lunches, as it will be throughout December with a selection of jams homemade chutneys and other tasty bites on sale.
Join our cave expert Richard Watson, from the comfort of your own armchair on the evening of Thursday 9th December, for an online talk exploring the life, work, and discoveries of the Father of speleology Edouard-Alfred Martel. Hear from Richard about the early explorations of Marble Arch Caves over 100 years ago that uncovered what lay beneath Cuilcagh Mountain. Richard brings a wealth of experience of both the caves and the local area as it was his place of work for more than 30 years.
Saturday 11 December sees the return of the Elf Trail, bigger and better than last year. Children will pick up a booklet in the Visitor Centre before heading out to the woods to find what escapades the elves are getting up to this year; a real adventure for little ones in the lead up to Christmas. The Elf Trail will run until 21 December 2021.
On Thursday 16 December, for one night only, diners looking for that ultimate dining experience will be able to join Tullymill Restaurant and Cathy McGovern of Wilde Dining in one of the cave chambers to enjoy a unique opportunity to dine underground.
Speaking about the upcoming programme of activities, the Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council Councillor Errol Thompson said;
“At a time when the Marble Arch Caves would have usually closed, it’s great to see such a full festive programme of activities catering for all ages with something for everyone whether living locally or visiting the district over the Christmas period.
This is a tremendous opportunity to explore all that the Marble Arch Caves has to offer at what is a magical time of year.”
For the first time our 1.5km guided tour of our amazing showcave tour is available to book and launching this month for those who want to experience the cave tour above ground is a new Virtual Reality experience of the cave.
Throughout December for those out walking or catching up with friends and family the café will be serving festive treats and Christmas themed lunches.
To book one of the many activities or for further information on all that is on offer please visit the Marble Arch Caves website at www.marblearchcaves.co.uk or follow us on our Facebook page @marblearchcaves.