The East Belfast Titanic Festival, which kicked off with a memorial parade last Friday, offers a host of other parades, show stopping acts, talks, exhibitions and traditional Ulster Scots dancing, in the run-up to the annual Twelfth celebrations.

The festival marks another first for the area as the Ulster Scots agency has organised its Party in the Park event to be held, as part of the festival, in the east of the city this Saturday (July 5). It will see a funfair, and a mixture of local acts with some from further-a-field, including the Scottish band the Red Hot Chilis Pipers, best known for their appearance on the BBC’s When Will I Be Famous show, all taking to the stage at Inverary Park.

Cultural development officer at the Ulster Scots Agency Maynard Hanna said he hoped the festival would grow to become a must-see event and rival the Feile in west Belfast.

“On Saturday there will be a sample of everything the agency does. There will be some of the best musical talent Northern Ireland has to offer. Everything from folk to rock. In the marquee there will be a drama of a typical street scene in Belfast in 1916 of when news got back of the people killed at the Somme, performed by an entire female cast,” he said.

“There is a children’s funfair, stalls, poetry readings, musical master classes and many local groups involved in the programme, plus it is all free.Hopefully we’ll get the weather as we are hoping for a big crowd and for the curious to come along. We want to see the festival grow and rival the west Belfast festival,” he added.

Log on to www.eastbelfast.titanicfestival.co.uk for more information.