Record Number of Visitors at Forbury Fiesta - Kicking Off Three Weeks of Children’s Activities
- Children's Festival continues with more than two fun-packed weeks of events and activities until Sunday 2 June 2024.
- Celebrating everything sporty with the Paris Olympics and Euro 2024 football tournament on over the summer.
Reading Council’s popular Children's Festival got off to an exciting start with Forbury Fiesta on Saturday 11 May with Forbury Gardens transformed into an Olympic themed arena. The sun shone and more than 10,000 visitors joined in the sport and music workshops and arts and craft sessions.
Forbury Fiesta highlights included Sport in Mind’s badminton and archery taster sessions, BETTER’s swimming hats and goggles timed obstacle course and Avanti Cycling CIC’s Dr Bike safety checks, and bicycle obstacle and mini cycle course.
Two more weeks of exciting low cost family events are taking place at venues across Reading, many with a sporty theme, including the Green Park 3K and Mini Mile; free Thames river cruises for under 14s; kayak taster sessions; learning calligraphy with Reading Chinese School; karaoke at Reading Biscuit Factory; and fun and creative sessions at all of the council’s libraries, from paper plane making to biscuit decorating.
Find out about all of the Children’s Festival events here https://www.reading.gov.uk/leisure/things-to-do/events/reading-childrens-festival-2024/
Adele Barnett-Ward, Reading Borough Council’s Lead Councillor for Leisure and Culture said “This is the 35th year of Reading Council’s fantastic annual Children’s Festival, but we aren’t resting on our ‘Olympic’ laurels! Every year the council’s events team and all the wonderful local organisations who participate strive to make the festival better than the year before, so we are delighted that the sunny weather and fun summer of sport theme made Forbury Fiesta 2024 the most popular yet.
"There are two more weeks of free and low cost Children’s Festival events left with so much variety that there will be something to appeal to every child: have a look at what’s on and join in the family fun!”
Reading Borough Council’s 2024 Children’s Festival is sponsored by Station Hill.
Alex Aitchison, UK Managing Director for Lincoln, on behalf of the joint venture between Lincoln and MGT which is delivering the Station Hill development, said: “We are delighted to be sponsors of the 2024 Reading Children’s Festival, a key annual event for people living and working in the town, and particularly for younger children and their families. We wish the Festival every success and hope that all who participate in it have a fantastic time.
“Station Hill – a mix of residential, retail and office development with two acres of new public realm in the heart of Reading – is our commitment to Reading’s future. It seeks to achieve the highest accreditations for environmental standards and is already providing a significant boost to the local economy. When complete, Station Hill will create an exceptional environment for the town centre as well as a range of new retail and leisure uses which we hope that everyone visiting, living and working in Reading will be able to enjoy.”