We’re getting dizzy with excitement about the Just So Festival** coming up in less than 2 weeks time.
The babes love going to London street parties and family festivals, and last year we were raving about our first camping festival experience at Camp Bestival.
But right now what’s got my belly a-tingling is the programme for Just So Festival, which I received in the post with a sense of glee and awe.
Now in its third year, Just So Festival is a boutique festival at stately Rode Hall and grounds in Cheshire, that is specifically designed for families with young children. Everything about this event seems to have been handcrafted with love and a touch of enchantment.
The programme includes chill-out sections for pregnant mamas, a special section for the teeniest tots (Cello Babies sounds awesome) and a Woodland Bar for grown-ups that’s open until midnight.
Here’s just a taster of what we’re most looking forward to:
1. Sandcastle contests and old-fashioned seaside competitions on the ‘beach’ by Rode Pool
2. A Midnight Feast on Saturday (from 11.30pm) and on Sunday at 4pm, a mass Pillow Fight!
3. Sing-a-long Jungle Book screening (Sat 6.30pm) along with other Singalong Musicals played daily at 5.30pm, plus an open-air cinema showing Cowboy Movies from 9pm every night
4. Bumping into the Dreamcatcher (he collects your dreams every morning), the Emergency Poet (rhymes to ease your ailments), a Fairy Queen (to grant your wishes) and maybe spotting a Gruffalo in the Woods…
5. Live music from an eclectic line-up of bands including Cut A Shine, Lovely Eggs, Nick Cope, Moulettes, Seas of Mirth, Konkomas, playing everything from punk-rock to folk, African and latin beats
6. Songs and stories around the campfire every evening and an Eat Your Words dinner party serving up real literature!
7. A Tea Dance with vintage band the Polka Dot Dolls, where we can learn to Lindy Hop
8. Retro Discos every night, kicking off with a ‘50s and ‘60s theme on Friday, ‘70s disco on Saturday and flashing back to the ‘80s on Sunday
9. Activity workshops including Capoeira, Laughing Yoga, lassoing skills…
10. Crafty sessions including Never Mind the Pollocks (painting with water pistols!), building a Fairy City that will be lit from within every evening, creating cinematic masterpieces out of pasta in Spaghetti Western Animation, rocket-making and more
11. Soaring spectacles like the aerial circus show La Balade de Bergerac; Flights of Fancy with Pif Paf Theatre’s famous travelling machine; and a Midsummer Night’s Dream performed in the woods
12. A Lantern Parade through the trees and of course the Wild Rumpus finale, rounding things off with costumes, marching, drumming and a crowning of the winners of the tribal tournament.
Hope to see you there!
Just So Festival is at Rode Hall, near Scholar’s Green, Cheshire, ST7 3QP from Fri-Sun (Aug 16-18). Tickets: adult weekend £95, child weekend £40, under 3s free. Day tickets are SOLD OUT.
Visit www.justsofestival.org.uk
**Babes about Town has been invited to review Just So Festival and we can’t wait to tell you all about it!
This sounds magical-as soon as A is old enough, we need to get into the fests! Can’t wait to read your review! x
This one is great even for toddlers and babies Vicki, definitely one to put on your list. We are super excited as you can tell! x