Organisers celebrate record-breaking year for Tapton Lock Festival
Chesterfield’s Tapton Lock Festival celebrated a record-breaking attendance this month, with a host of new activities and performances for local families to enjoy.
Over 3,000 people attended the two-day festival at the Tapton Lock Visitor Centre, making it the most-attended year since it started in 2012.
The free annual event is organised by Junction Arts and Derbyshire County Council, bringing outdoor theatre, music and dance, arts and crafts workshops, stalls and activities to the banks of the Chesterfield Canal. The aim is to encourage families and friends to come together to enjoy the outdoors and promote better health and well-being.
This year, visitors took part in a number of arts and crafts activities, music and dance workshops, ‘have a go’ canoes and boat rides.
Firm favourites, the bubbleologist, storytellers, circus skills and the climbing wall all returned, but there was also some new entertainment for 2023, which included performances from Bollywood dancers, African drummers, and the Babbling Vagabonds Magical Market Stall!
Visitors also tried their hand at Lego printing, clay sculpting, creating wire bubble wands and forest school activities.
Junction Arts Project Coordinator, Jane Wells said: “The Festival was a huge success and the nice weather encouraged even greater numbers this year! We had a really varied programme, including amazing outdoor theatre from the Babbling Vagabond’s and their Wagon of Wonder, incredible performances by visitors of all ages who took part in Nisha Lall’s Bollywood dance workshops and lots of arts and crafts activities for people to take part in, and all for free.”
“We were also thrilled that visitors could experience the rich cultural heritage of Chesterfield with representation from the Chesterfield Asian Association, the African Caribbean Community Association, Polonia Chesterfield and Verba, the Ukrainian Social Group. Lastly, we would like to take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers who helped make this such a successful event and to all our funders and sponsors.”
Find out more about events and activities for the whole family taking place in Chesterfield at: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/visiting/
Junction Arts supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.
