A THREE-WEEK festival bursting with fun for Reading’s youngsters will be launching on Saturday with a fiesta.
Fobury Gardens will be transformed into a wonderland for Saturday’s event, marking the start of the 33rd children’s festival, and includes a giant tea party to mark Huntley & Palmer’s 200th anniversary.
Entertainment includes The Mad Hatter’s biscuit party and parade, the Larger than Life circus and theatre workshops, flag making, face painting and storytimes.
The festivities continue through to the Jubilee weekend.
Reading’s libraries are hosting free sessions, including crafting, planting, and making a unicorn.
from crafting for the Platinum Jubilee, to planting and decorating your own flowerpot, and A royal-themed augmented reality (AR) Jubilee Beacon Trail runs across Reading from Saturday, with seven magical characters to find, with digital stamps as a reward.
Reading Museum will open its Victorian classroom, and there is a chance to help Bertie the biscuit-loving badger design a new biscuit to go on show in the Welcome Gallery, at a special event planned for Saturday, May 28.
In partnership with the MERL, ‘Museum’s, My Way’ are sessions for neurodiverse visitors of all ages, developed with Autism Berkshire. A session on Monday, May 30is themed around Biscuits and Food, and includes sensory backpacks and ear defenders, reduced volume of gallery interactive sounds, and break out spaces.
Budding musicians can head to Culturemix’s steel pan music taster sessions, on Tuesdays, May 24 and 31, while trials of the ukulele and songwriting is available from the Rock Academy, on Monday, May 30.
And across the festival, Guyatts Fair will be in Prospect Park. It opens on Friday, through to Sunday, May 16, and again from Thursday, May 19, through to Saturday, May 22.
Donna Pentelow, assistant director of culture at Reading Borough Council, was pleased that the Children’s Festival was returning, saying an amazing range of activities and events would take plae.
“The deliciously biscuit-themed Forbury Fiesta on Saturday kicks off three weeks of exciting events for young people and it promises plenty of dancing, singing, playing and partying,” she said.
“This feels like a summer of celebrations for many reasons and we are delighted to welcome you all to an amazing three weeks of fun events and activities.
Full details of the programme are available from www.reading.gov.uk and clikcing on the leisure option
