This summer, the people behind the hugely successful North Leeds Food Festival are headed across the Pennines to host the first-ever Heaton Park Food & Drink Festival. The foodie gathering will take place across the weekend of August 20-21, and promises two days of street food, live music, markets and chef demonstrations.
The event, which will take over Heaton Park in Bury, which most will know is also the home of Parklife Festival, will be a celebration of local talent and will encourage everyone to come along and ‘pull up a deckchair’.
Guests will be invited to take a walk through the lush green fields of Heaton Park and enjoy the aromas of locally made street food showcasing an array of global flavours. Meanwhile, eight independent bars will be dotted around the park offering up cold glasses of beer, champagne, cocktails loaded with fresh strawberries and non-alcoholic tipples.
The gastronomic gathering will also feature a Live Cookery Theatre, giving guests the chance to pick up some cookery tips and new recipe ideas. The theatre will host some of the region's very best chefs, so keep your eyes peeled for the soon-to-be announced line-up of culinary talent.
A stellar bill of musical talent will also take to the stage, with a minimum of 12 acts performing across the two days, meaning there will be plenty of live music to sit back and enjoy. While the full bill is yet to be announced, the sounds of Will Forester on sax will welcome guests to the festival and will play throughout.
Not forgetting the kids, there’s plenty of free activities including a funfair and ‘Inflatable Land’ to keep them busy, as well as quizzes, fact-finding hunts and shows from performers including Magic Matt. There will also be a dedicated wellbeing area, where guests will find everything from independent cosmetics to yoga talks and healthy living activations.
Rounding the weekend off, guests can also peruse the artisan markets, where they’ll find locally made products including gins, crafts and sweet treats. A walk through the park will also offer up the opportunity to take in the variety of artwork on display, which organisers have been collecting and building up over the last five years.
Organisers will also be partnering with local mental health charity Manchester Mind. They’ll be collecting donations through optional donations on ticket sales and fun activities for all.
The Heaton Park Food & Drink Festival takes place across the weekend of August 20-21. Tickets for the event are on sale now from just £4.95 per adult for one day and £8.95 for the full weekend.
Get the latest What's On news - from food and drink to music and nightlife - straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter.
