People of all ages are gearing up for the Leys Festival and Horticultural Show, which will take place in Blackbird Leys Park between 12pm and 4pm on Saturday 2 July.
This is the first time the two events have come together.
Jill Hudson, Chair of the Festival Steering Committee and Executive Headteacher of the Blackbird Academy Trust who co-organised the event, said: “It is so wonderful to bring together so many parts of the community, so many activities and opportunities to ‘have a go’ at new things. Not to mention the Horticultural Show of course which everyone is very welcome to enter, whether it be with a hanging basket, a massive potato or a tasty cake!”
The event has been organised by a steering group made up of the Blackbird Academy Trust, Oxford Polish Association, the MY OX4 Lifeline Project, Blackbird Leys Parish Council and Oxford City Council and local residents. Activities and attractions on the day include a Birds of Prey display, a mini beast stall, a climbing wall, bouncy castles, inflatable sumo suits, tricky trail biking activities, meditation, yoga, dance performances, school children performing Shakespeare’s best bits, magic and puppet shows plus a host of ‘have-a-go’ activities including science experiments from the University of Oxford, arts activities from Modern Art Oxford and a whole range of sports activities to take part in on the day.
Councillor Linda Smith, Oxford City Council Executive Board Member for Leisure, Parks and Sport, said: "This year's Leys Festival and Horticultural Show is going to be bigger and better than ever, as it will combine the Blackbird Academy Trust school fete with the always popular Leys Festival. It's a wonderful chance to celebrate the strong community in Blackbird Leys, enjoy performances from our talented school kids and spend an afternoon exploring the wide variety of family friendly attractions on offer. People from across Oxford are welcome to come and join in the fun.”
Oxford City Council supports the festival, which has been running for over 15 years.
Councillor Christine Simm, Executive Board Member for Culture and Communities, added: “This event really celebrates the vibrancy of Blackbird Leys and Greater Leys, how much there is to do here and more than anything else is a great day out for all the family. It’s always wonderful to see the park buzzing with people and I’m looking forward to it being a great day.”
For more information about the festival, please visit the Leys Festival and Horticultural Show website.
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