Tree top acrobats, den-building, campfire cooking, original art and an unforgettable theatre tour in an open air bus are just a few of the activities taking place as part of the packed programme planned for this year’s Festival of Thrift.
Over 40,000 visitors are expected at the UK’s national celebration of sustainability as the award-winning event marks its fifth birthday in the wooded surroundings of Kirkleatham Museum, near Redcar on 23 and 24 September.
The site’s ten zones offer a hugely varied array of activities including seed swaps, campervan restaurants, digital fixing, lots of live music, thrifty fashion shows and naming ceremonies for children, a giant community meal in a walled garden as well upcycled artefacts from a wide range of stallholders.
Families can also make, watch and do at the BBC Village where alongside a magical craft tipi with CBeebies’ The Let’s Go Club, favourite CBBC and CBeebies shows are being screened with some sneak previews of never-seen-before episodes
Festival of Thrift Director Stella Hall said: “Our advice is for people to plan their visit by checking out the programme and map which is available online now. They can then come along and get stuck in and hands-on at the drop-in sessions, take part in the debates, have fun and share their skills.”
Festival-goers are invited to bring along excess fruit and veg to be made into chutney in the Stables, broken items to be mended at the Fix It Café located in Kirkleatham Hall School and fashion, garden items or non-electrical homeware to exchange at the Swap Shop near the Museum & SABIC Stage. Old computers (no screens please!) will be turned into noisy toys with Savengers so bring them along to the School too.
Although comfortable shoes are recommended for easy access round the big site, Festival of Thrift scouts will be on the lookout for the best thrifty outfits to award the event’s coveted ‘Best in Show’ rosettes to.
The Festival site is open from 10 -5pm Saturday and Sunday and visitors can travel by public transport with Arriva offering a discounted combined ticket for those travelling by rail and bus, get a lift, cycle or walk to the site and get in free of charge.
Anyone driving can use postcode TS10 5NW and follow the clearly marked car parking signs in the approach to the site. Parking costs £5 a car which gets ploughed back into making the Festival happen. Spaces for Blue Badge holders will also be clearly sign-posted and a shuttle service will run from the main car park to the centre of the Festival site for those with access needs.
The programme and site map can be downloaded at http://www.festivalofthrift.co.uk/about-the-festival/2017-programme/