Thousands enjoy creativity and family fun at Chesterfield Children’s Festival
Thousands of families came together in Queen’s Park as the Chesterfield Children’s Festival returned for a weekend of free performances, creative workshops and hands-on activities celebrating imagination, play and community.
Organised by Junction Arts, the annual festival welcomed families from across the borough on Saturday, 18th and Sunday, 19th July, transforming Queen’s Park into a vibrant space packed with theatre, music, dance and creative experiences for children of all ages.
One of the highlights of this year’s programme was Chesterfield to the Front, an interactive theatre show and live band experience, celebrating everything that makes Chesterfield unique.
Families also enjoyed the return of Wacky Woody’s Comedy Magic Show, while younger children explored a dedicated early years programme featuring Marie the Makaton Mouse, Play, Dance, Move workshops and The Delights, a multi-sensory theatre experience designed to inspire imagination and participation.
Throughout the weekend, visitors took part in a wide range of free activities including family life drawing, face painting and creative workshops, ensuring there was something for everyone to enjoy.
A new dedicated craft tent was introduced for this year’s festival thanks to sponsorship from Kip McGrath Chesterfield West. The space hosted a packed programme of free activities including pottery, badge making and “make your own football shirt” workshops, giving families even more opportunities to get creative together.
Accessibility continued to be a key priority, with mobile accessible toilets and changing facilities provided by Accessoloo, alongside British Sign Language interpreters throughout the weekend to help ensure the festival remained welcoming and inclusive for everyone.
The festival also reflected the voices of local young people. Over the past year, Year Six pupils from Abercrombie Primary School worked alongside Junction Arts to help shape this year’s programme, sharing ideas through workshops and creative sessions about the entertainment and activities they wanted to experience.
Jemma Burton, Project Manager at Junction Arts, said:
“This year’s festival felt truly special. Co-creating the event with local children brought fresh ideas and energy, helping ensure it continues to reflect what young people want and enjoy. Also, thanks to the support of our sponsor, Kip McGrath, we were able to offer even more hands-on activities in the new craft tent, giving families more opportunities to get involved and be creative.
“It was wonderful to see so many families coming together to enjoy the weekend, and we’re incredibly grateful to the talented artists who filled Queen’s Park with such joy and imagination.”
As the festival’s headline sponsor, Kip McGrath Chesterfield West supported the introduction of the new craft tent while also engaging with hundreds of local families throughout the weekend.
The education centre, owned by Lorna and Andy Bell, marked the milestone year by celebrating alongside the community, hosting a free colouring competition, meeting families and giving away £500 worth of tuition to a local child.
Lorna Bell said:
“Turning 50 is an incredible milestone for Kip McGrath, but for us it was important that the celebrations weren’t just about looking back. We wanted to celebrate with the families and community who have supported us over the years.
“Being the main sponsor of the Chesterfield Children’s Festival gave us the perfect opportunity to do exactly that. It was wonderful to meet so many local families, see children enjoying the activities and celebrate everything that makes our community so special.”
Andy Bell added:
“Community has always been at the heart of what we do. Whether it’s helping children achieve their goals in the classroom or supporting events like the Chesterfield Children’s Festival, we want to make a positive difference to local families.
Now in its fourth year, the Chesterfield Children’s Festival has become a highlight of the town’s cultural calendar, bringing together local organisations, artists, volunteers and businesses to create free opportunities for families to experience arts, culture and creativity in the heart of Chesterfield.
For more family-friendly events and things to do in Chesterfield, visit: www.chesterfield.co.uk/events/
Junction Arts and Kip McGrath Chesterfield West are among more than 200 Chesterfield organisations that are proud to support the local economy, working closely with Destination Chesterfield to showcase Chesterfield and North Derbyshire as a destination to live, work, visit and invest.
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