Welcome return of Derbyshire Woodland Festival.

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Plans are shaping up for the return of our popular Woodland Festival to Elvaston Castle Country Park on Sat 18 and Sun 19 September.

Now in its 20^th year, the Woodland Festival is a weekend feast of entertainment for all the family celebrating traditional and contemporary woodland crafts but with much more on offer as well. Professional demonstrators and performers showcase their skills alongside outdoor theatre, storytelling, working horses, arts and crafts, and traditional fairground rides. There are also many stalls selling gifts and crafts and a wide range of refreshments including vegetarian and vegan options.

Popular performers are back and the highlights for this year include:

Arbor, the incredible 18-foot-tall puppet of a tree, for a walkabout performance (Sunday only)
the Vikings are invading again by popular demand to re-enact their times and traditions including some combat!
Smoking Apples theatre company returns with its new performance, ‘Buzz’. Using puppetry and visual theatre they highlight the need for bees in Britain, and what can be done to help them
Bees & Trees will be offering expert advice on orchards, pollarding and bees in woodlands
The Master Wheelwright will be demonstrating the making of traditional hand-crafted cartwheels.
have a go at wattle and daub or thatching on a third scale timber frame Tudor house
horse logging – who doesn’t love these gentle giants. Try your hand at long-reining a horse in the woods
wild food and campfire cooking demonstrations.
Councillor Carolyn Renwick, our Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Environment, said:
“Our Woodland Festival is due to make a very welcome return after we had to cancel it last year. The pandemic has shown how important open spaces and fresh air are for our mental and physical wellbeing so it’s great to be hosting this festival again in a beautiful and spacious outdoor setting at Elvaston.

“There’s a very impressive line-up of activities, many of them back by popular demand, and something for all the family. We know that many families come back year after year because they enjoy the festival so much and it makes a great day out.”