Live in Northampton

2023 is the year of fun and interesting events across Northamptonshire. So, what is there for us to make space in our diaries for this year?

Funtopia
Funtopia is once again coming back to Northampton this year. It is going to be situated in Abington Park in the heart of Northamptonshire. With ample free parking around the park, it is the place to go for a cheap day out. Costing only £10 per child over 90cm, it is an extremely affordable day out. The £10 entry fee gains you access to Funtopia, where there is an array of bouncy castles and other activities for little ones to enjoy. As well as an under-5 area, created with the smallest of children in mind. Alongside this, there is set to be an array of stalls which you can purchase items from including food, toys, soaps and more, as well as some fun stalls like hook a duck! Funtopia is also going to host an event in Daventry, Northamptonshire if that is closer to you.

Comedy Shows
There is a wide variety of comedy shows planned for Northampton this year. Most of them will be hosted in Royal and Derngate, Northampton’s main theatre with stage, lighting, food vendors and ample seating. Some of the comedians making an appearance this year include Aflie Moore, Jon Richardson, Sarah Keyworth and Mike Bubbins. All set to provide a night of entertainment for those who are interested. Many tickets are still available for these shows, so you’re not too late to miss out.

Northampton Town Festival / Balloon Festival
The main festival in Northampton – Northampton Town Festival and Balloon Festival are set to make a comeback this year. Set to be back on the Racecourse in 2023, this much loved and anticipated festival is one we can’t wait to endure. The festival is where you can watch many hot air balloons take flight. As well as there is an array of stalls to purchase from, food vendors, fair rides, and prize games like hook a duck. This is set to be a fun day out for all, but make sure you have enough spare money as the array of things to do is likely to be costly.

Northampton Music Festival
After being hugely popular in 2022, Northampton Music Festival has recently released that they will be back in the summer of 2023, with set dates to be confirmed soon. This event is where a stage is set up in the main market square of Northampton town centre, where many bands and musicians can showcase their music. From more popular bands to aspiring Northampton-based artists. It is an event that brings the crowds and makes Northampton town centre popular like it once was before. Dozens of acts are set to take to the stage, so this is an event you don’t want to miss.

A full year of fun is set for Northamptonshire. With many events taking place across the town throughout all months. What are you most looking forward to, and what are you hoping for next year?

Whether you are hosting a family party or workplace Christmas parties UK, you have come to the right place to find all things festive. Helping you to host the most festive Christmas party this coming year! So, what are our top tips and considerations for you to have?

Venue Location
One of the main considerations you need to have when hosting a Christmas party is the venue location. Sometimes where you think is going to be best isn’t always going to work well. You need to think about where people are coming from, ideally, you want to find somewhere as local as possible that is easy for everyone to get to. Some people may need to travel via public transport, so do consider these routes when choosing a location for your Christmas party.

Venue Size
On the same focus of the venue, you also want to consider the size. For this, you need to take into consideration what style of party you are doing as well as how many people are going to be attending. By knowing these facts you will be able to choose a venue that fits everything you need in a location that works well as well. If you have children attending your party, you are going to want to consider somewhere larger than if it was all adults. Children are known to get restless, so you may as well give them some space to run around and burn off some energy.

Type of Party
To create the perfect Christmas party, you also want to think about what type of party you are going to have. Most people will choose to have a sit-down meal, whilst this is festive, it is not always the best option. You may wish to hire some additional form of entertainment, maybe even consider having a dance floor. Just something to keep the good mood up and ensure people do not get bored just sitting around waiting on food. Party games are an excellent option to keep the laughter flowing.

Decorating The Venue
Another important aspect of Christmas parties UK is how you decorate the venue. When you think of Christmas, what do you think of? For us, it’s Christmas trees, twinkling lights and snowflakes. This is what we would decorate our party venue with. Of course, decorating a venue is going to be easier if you are having the party in your own home. If you are hiring somewhere, we recommend looking for a party planner who can help make your Christmas party the festive wonderland you deserve.

Sticking To Budget
Finally, you want to consider how exactly you are going to be able to stick to your budget. This can be challenging as it’s easy to go over the top with decorations, food and venue size. Ideally, you want to have a budget in mind, keep a spreadsheet and ensure all of your outgoing costs for this event do not put your initial budget into minus figures.

Every parent wants to take their child to visit Santa at Christmas. With the cost of living on the rise, it can be unaffordable for some to pay the high prices some places charge for a simple Santa visit. But, you don’t want to lose the magic o Christmas, so where else can you take your children to visit the main man himself?

Many charities are doing free Santa visits to raise money for their chosen charity, with most even saying it’s just a suggested donation to see Santa and receive a free gift. This is excellent for those struggling with money right now. But these do get booked up fast as it’s not often you can see Santa or free.

Another option is to try local pubs. Some of these do Santa breakfast or dinner, where you can enjoy a meal out and see Santa at the same time. Great if you want something a little bit different.

Halloween is only a couple of weeks away, it’s time to think about where you are going to take your children trick or treating this year. Outside of Northampton, many places have Halloween events some of these include Alton Towers, Legoland and local farms. But these may be too far or expensive for some to travel, so what about more local places? When you think of local places, the best place to go is around your local neighbourhood. Houses around you are likely to decorate with Halloween decorations and offer treats to little trick or treaters in the area. This offers a great load of fun for these children and parents who don’t want to travel too far. You don’t need to travel far or spend a lot of money to have a great time. Even a Halloween party at your own home can be great fun for little children who want to celebrate Halloween.

Keeping children entertained can be challenging no matter where you live. This is where clubs for children Northampton come in handy. Afterschool clubs or weekend activities that can help to keep your children occupied doing something they enjoy.

So, what are some clubs you will see in Northampton?

Brownies / Scouts – These are two different clubs that have a similar aspect of teaching children different life skills. Letting them get messy and crafty during the process.

Sports – In Northampton there are a wide variety of sporting clubs that children can take part in. Most popular are swimming and football, allowing children to learn a skill whilst having fun.

Dance – Finally, dance. This is especially popular for girls in Northampton. A range of dance classes for them to again learn a new skill and keep them entertained.

You should only put your child into a club that they enjoy, if they show signs of not being happy, remove them from the club and try something different that suits their personality.

The festivities of December are in full swing, this means that the many light displays across Northampton are also happening. So, let us share with you some of our personal favourites.

One of the most popular displays in Northamptonshire is Delpare Abbey light walk. This is based in Delpare Abbey park, and you need to pay to enter to walk around and enjoy the lights from sunset onwards.

Another popular Christmas light display in Northamptonshire is the Lap of Lights at Silverstone racetrack. This is where you can drive around their racetrack and see their amazing display. You do need to pay for your car to enter, but you can drive around as well as have other free activities included.

If you do not wish to pay to see Christmas Lights, there are many free displays or charity related displays dotted around Northampton. A quick Facebook search will help you to find one local to you.

What we have all been waiting for is finally happening, Funtopia is coming to Northampton’s main town centre. We couldn’t be more excited even if we tried!

Events in Northampton have been slacking over the past few years. Yes, we know lockdown has had a part to play in this. But it is good to see that new events that are not just theme parks are coming to the heart of Northampton!

Funtopia Foodstival is a combined event that has kids play zone and a food area with locally sourced foods and some from around the world. Now, you need to pay two separate entry fees for each section, or you can combine the entry fee if you know you want to go into both.

Funtopia is an event that has been hosted by Pick N Mix events for quite a few years. This is an event that is a child’s paradise. You pay one entry fee to go into the main event. With there being a wide variety of bouncy castles, kids games, and stalls that kids will be interested in. There is something in there to keep everyone entertained. The cost to enter is totally worth the hours of fun your kids will have during this event.

Foodstival is the new area of this festival that will require an additional entry fee. This is where you will be able to see all the different types of foods that they have to offer. From van meals to sweet treats and ice cream. There will be something for everyone to try.

Funtopia is coming to Northampton on the 10th July, 7th August and 11th September 2021, based in the heart of Northampton at Abington Park. Be sure to book your tickets so you don’t miss out!

After a rubbish year last year, it is great to be able to share that with the current guidelines in place, Northampton Town Festival will be back for 2021. Starting on Friday 3rd July running until Sunday 5th July, it is a weekend that you do not want to miss.

Where and How Much?
Northampton Town Festival 2021 is being held in the Racecourse, a park which is based right in the heart of Northampton with plenty of access routes for all. The festival is going to be charging £2.50 for everyone over 1 meter to enter the event. There is free parking on site surrounding the park but this will quickly fill up. There will be a car park situated on the park, but charges will apply, the charge is yet to be determined but at the last festival, it was £5 per car per day.

What’s Happening At Northampton Town Festival?
Northampton Town Festival is a large event that everyone living in Northampton looks forward to every year. There are so many different things going on that there is bound to be something for everyone.

For the younger children, there are small fairground rides, arcade machines, meeting characters, and general festival games like hook a duck.

For the older children and adults, there is a large selection of more thrilling rides, as well as arcades and festival stools. All of these rides and games do cost extra on top of the admission price.

Alongside all of the fairground rides, there are lots of different shows that you can watch and enjoy as a family. From stunt shows, animal shows and the most important hot air balloon take off.

Finally, Northampton Town Festival is full of some of the best food stalls you can find. With it allowing you to try new foods as well as grab some festival classics like donuts and candy floss.

If you love this time of year, you must love seeing all of the beautiful firework displays to celebrate bonfire night. As well as watching a display of fireworks, there is usually good food and drink available too. But where should you go this Bonfire night?

Northampton- On Saturday 4^th, head over to Billing Aquadrome starting at 2pm with food, music and rides, followed by a bonfire at 6:30pm and fireworks at 8:30pm. A great day out for the whole family, just remember to wrap up warm.

Milton Keynes- If you are looking for something a bit more extravagant, then venture to MK’s famous fairground and firework display at Campbell park. While the funfair is open from The fun fair will be open from Thursday 26th October to Sunday 5th November, the fireworks are being held on the 5^th at 8pm. Make sure you head here early to find yourself a parking spot for the evening as it can become very busy.

If you are looking to take part in a charity event, Northampton will be hosting their Cancer Research- Race for Life, June 3^rd and 4^th. This is a popular charity event the runs across all of the UK, and this year Northampton will be hosting theirs in Abington Park.

The great part about race for life is that you can enter with any fitness level, meaning you can complete the 5k or 10k course walking, jogging, running or skipping. The event usually is held on one day, however there has been an extra race added into the mix, the Pretty Muddy Race.  The Pretty Muddy Race includes obstacles, water and of course mud.

If you live in Northampton or any of the surrounding areas and are not taking part in the race, it’s a brilliant event to come down and watch, you can support the racers, and also tuck into a cheeky ice-cream too.