Following last year’s overwhelming attendance of more than 10,000 visitors, BH Live is once again hosting its bumper community and family fun weekend on Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 July 2016.
Taking place across two of Bournemouth’s award winning and family favourite attractions, Bournemouth Pavilion and Littledown Centre and Park, the weekend promises to provide local families and visitors with lots of free activities to thrill and entertain.
The Bournemouth Pavilion’s Family Fun Day will take place on Saturday 30 July 2016 from 10am til 4pm on its outdoor terrace overlooking Bournemouth’s Lower Gardens.
Passers-by can get their face painted and hair braided by Funky Faces and try their hand with Fun Times archery and the Tin Can Alley. Children’s entertainer Jamie Jigsaw will be entertaining the crowds with his magic, clowning and balloon modelling throughout the day and Frozen’s Elsa will be providing learn and play sessions. Dance along to DJ Sharp Soundz with prize giveaways throughout the day and learn more about performance at Pavilion Dance South West’s children’s dance workshops and BH Live’s youth theatre workshops. Stalls will be offering exciting things see and buy and games to play too. And if that isn’t enough, youngsters climb aboard our inflatable pirate ship; while the grown-ups sit back and relax with a coffee. At 1pm there will be a special visit from the Worshipful, the Mayor of Bournemouth Councillor Edward Jesser Coope who will be taking in the fun of the day visiting stall holders and chatting to visitors.
The weekend continues at Littledown Centre and Park on Sunday 31 July 2016 from 11am til 4pm. Following last year’s success, the attractions are even bigger with more than 130 indoor and outdoor stalls and activities.
Councillor Lawrence Williams, cabinet member for Tourism, Leisure and The Arts will be opening the fun day and taking a tour of the event. He said,
“The family fun days, both at Bournemouth Pavilion and Littledown, have proved extremely popular and we hope their popularity continues this year. The days are bigger and better than before, with a multitude of activities for all the family. I’m thoroughly looking forward to opening and attending Littledown and enjoying the day myself.”
New for this year include birds of prey falconry displays, a thrilling science dome planetarium experience for youngsters to watch digital dinosaurs come to life and a special visit from the Dorset Troopers. The event is hosted by Heart FM presenter Zoe and the Heart Angels will be back with free face painting. More than 100 stalls will be there featuring lots of great local produce including artisan handmade crafts and gifts from talented crafters including The New Forest Wooden Products, and homemade preserves and pickles from Sweet Natured Preserves. There will also be a selection of artists and photograhers displaying their work.
Other stalls include Shabby Chic upcycled furniture, candles, clothing, handmade jewellery, henna tattooing, hair wrapping, fun animal walking balloons, cupcakes, fudge and delicious street food.
An inflatable pub will be there for the grown-ups with local beer and bales of hay to sit on and soak up the atmosphere. The fun fair is bigger than last year too with up to 16 rides and attractions including the 14 metre high K2 slide and a ferris wheel. There is also a new inflatable zone including a bouncy castle for teens and adults, disco dome, giant assault course, basketball shootout, plus a bungee run. There will also be hula hoop workshops, an orienteering maze and sport activities including crazy golf and free outdoor table tennis.
Children’s entertainment features Minky Moo’s Ice Magic Frozen Shows and Superheroes Spectacular show, go karts and inflatable pirate ship, youth theatre workshops, arts and crafts activities, zorb circuits and a football penalty shootout. There will also be demonstrations from Avonbourne Gymnastics Club, Dorset Taekwondo and dance displays from Poole Academy of Dance.
ALTITUDE High Ropes Adventure at Littledown Park, which has just been awarded a 2016 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, will be running taster sessions and train enthusiasts can take a trip around the park on a model railway.
“Last year our family fun weekend provided two fantastic days out for all the family which really kicked off our summer season,
says Pat Coyne, BH Live’s Director of Venues.
“This year our bumper family fun weekend is back and bigger than ever with a host of new attractions and activities to get the summer holidays off to a great start. And on top of all of this, our Roller Coast Roller Rink at Bournemouth International Centre, and family friendly shows at Bournemouth Pavilion including the Sound of Music and David Walliams’ Gangsta Granny are the cherries on the cake. This time of year has never been so much fun and we love it.”
Download a Littledown Park map
Admission to BH Live’s family fun weekend is free over both days. Charges apply to refreshments and some activities.
-ENDS-
Notes to Editors:
For more information about BH Live please contact:
Elizabeth Symmons, PR & Corporate Communications Executive
E: press.office@bhlive.org.uk
T: (01202) 055562
About BH Live
BH Live is the South Coast’s leading operator of leisure and event venues – a social enterprise that designs and builds engaging experiences to inspire people and enrich lives.
With nearly three million visits a year and £35 million turnover, the organization is changing lives and is at the heart of the UK’s growing social economy.
In 2014/15, BH Live hosted more than 400 shows, sold over half a million cultural, sporting and entertainment tickets, clocked up 2.2 million leisure centre visits and welcomed 93,000 conference and exhibition delegates. An estimated £48.5 million was also generated for the local economy.
Get social with us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter @BHLIVE_UK
About Bournemouth Pavilion
Bournemouth Pavilion is managed and operated by BH Live in partnership with Bournemouth Borough Council.
This Grade II listed venue provides a 1,500-seat theatre and full-sized ballroom. The venue hosts musicals, opera, ballet, pantomime, comedy, gala dinners, banquets, receptions, fairs, dances and fashion shows throughout the year.
It also provides facilities to complement events at Bournemouth International Centre and for corporate presentations, product launches, and smaller conferences and exhibitions. Bournemouth Pavilion is also home to Pavilion Dance South West and the Pavilion at AUB rehearsal and teaching space for the Arts University Bournemouth. For more visit bournemouthpavilion.co.uk
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About Littledown
Littledown is managed and operated by BH Live in partnership with Bournemouth Borough Council.
Set in 47 acres of parkland, Littledown has some of the finest leisure, swimming, football and gym facilities in the country. Accredited by quality scheme QUEST and Sport England, Littledown is ranked among the top performing leisure centres in the UK.
The centre is home to clubs including Bournemouth Swimming Academy, Swim Bournemouth, Littledown Juniors Football Club and Play Football leagues, and attracts more than 26,000 visits a week.
It provides 185 weekly fitness classes, one of the largest gyms in the UK with personal training, an exercise referral programme and a children’s activity programme. The team also works with local health authorities, trusts, education providers and organisations to encourage greater participation in physical activity.`
Indoor facilities include a 25-metre swimming pool, 17-metre teaching pool, waterslides, splash pool, spa, steam rooms, sauna, spa baths and sanarium. There is a large sports hall for events and multi-sports including trampolining, badminton, table tennis, football and gymnastics. The centre also has on-site catering and an Ofsted registered crèche.
Outdoor facilities include the leisure attraction, ALTITUDE High Ropes Adventure at Littledown Park, which has a 2016 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, six floodlit 3G rubber crumb training pitches, grass football pitches, parkland for recreation and events, a cricket pitch and pavilion, lake, paddling pool, children’s playground, outdoor catering outlets, leisure orienteering course and parking. . For more visit bhliveactive.org.uk
Get social with us on Facebook and Twitter @BHLIVE_UK @bhliveactive