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The award-winning play area with beaches, pirate ships and dinosaurs for kids to discover
A great place to take the kiddies this Easter!
This award-winning play centre in Cheshire is perfect for your little ones.
With a whole host of huge soft play areas, indoor beaches, pirate ships, dinosaurs and bouncy castles, it’s no wonder Castaway Play in Congleton was named best in the region last year.
This family friendly attraction is bursting with fun things to do to keep the kids entertained on a family day out.
And it regularly changes its themes to keep it exciting and new for visitors to keep coming back for more fun days out.
This magical world of play has grown from being a popular room within a garden centre to a large space with different play zones, since opening in February 2020.
Married couple and parents Joanna and Simon Cotterall came up with the idea to create a varied play centre with plenty of facilities, including for those with special needs.
Castaway Play was crowned ‘Best Indoor Play Centre’ for the Greater Manchester and Cheshire region last year at the Red Kite Awards, following a public vote.
The adventure play venue faced tough competition to the top spot including Clip ‘n’ Climb in Oldham, Tumble Jacks in Marple, and Head Over Heels in Wilmslow.
The popular play centre originally started out as just a pirate ship room but has since expanded to include a lost-jungle room, a construction site room and a sensory play area with plenty of things to discover, even giant prehistoric creatures and dinosaur eggs.
On entering the exciting and imaginative centre, children will first come across Castaway Cove – a pirate ship and treasure island area.
In the far corner, they will stumble across the Lost-Jungle, where dinosaurs and hatchlings are waiting to be discovered among a huge green leafy area.
There’s a glow-in-the-dark outer space room, before kids will enter the Magical Kingdom filled with castles, slides, princesses and plenty of sensory things to play with.
Next, the little ones will find a huge indoor beach as they land on the Tropical Island. Making their way across wooden tree-house bridges and down more slides, they will eventually splash into the Water Park.
Castaway Play even has party rooms that can be hired out for events along with seasonal and themed characters with staff dressed in costumes to bring the experience to life – the perfect place for your child’s birthday.
A full day of play makes for hungry children and accompanying adults, so you’ll be pleased to hear it has three different cafe areas to stop off for a bite and something to drink.
The much-loved play centre fills up fast and so it is advised to book tickets in advance so as to avoid disappointment. Off-peak tickets cost £6.95 and peak tickets cost £10.95. Tickets can be booked via the website, HERE.
Castaway Play is open seven days a week and located at 71 Moss Rd, Astbury, Congleton CW12 3BP.
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What's On
The new FREE Christmas night market with over 40 traders from across our region
Get in the festive spirit!
Get in the festive spirit with a brand new FREE Christmas makers night market, with over 40 traders and small businesses from across the region.
Brought to you by Renaker, the Manchester Made Christmas night market is coming to New Jackson, Deansgate Square from Friday December 6th to Sunday December 8th.
Following on from a successful summer market in May, the Manchester Made Market is returning bigger and better than before but with a Christmassy twist.
Manchester Made Market
Expect a ‘cosy and magical’ Christmas night market experience, with food, drink, live music and even a grotto for visits to Father Christmas.
There’ll be Christmas trees galore, glittering with lighting, with one huge show-stopping tree taking centre stage.
Bringing together over 40 artisanal traders and small businesses from across the region, the three-day event will showcase a plethora of food produce, homewares, crafts and creations.
Manchester Made Market
Visitors will be sure to find unique Christmas gifts that support local businesses, including from The Cole Men and their award winning sauces, Moon & Sixpence’s handmade jewellery, and fine art photography by Craig Barker.
There’ll be live music from a 20-piece choir, playing Christmas classics, cocktails from Manchester Gin and Gooey’s sweet treats.
The experts from Millington Hall Farm in Altrincham will be bringing a taste of their Wild Grill experience, including live sausage making demonstrations and an array of German sausages served from a festive BBQ trailer.
Manchester Made Market
Families with children can visit the Christmas grotto, where Father Christmas himself will be waiting in a cosy tipi – kids will get a gift from Santa, and bookings can be made online for £8.50 per child.
Manchester Made Market will be open from 4pm to 9pm on Friday December 6th, and 1pm to 9pm on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th – pre-register for a free guest list ticket and 50% off a hot chocolate HERE, or book the Christmas grotto HERE.
What's On
Free one-day Christmas festival returning to Stockport to kick off festive season
Get in the festive spirit in Stockport!
Stockport’s free, one-day Christmas festival is returning this festive season, with 200 performers and more than 50 shows.
Spectacular Sunday will return to the town on November 17th at various sites and venues.
Following the success of last year’s event, hundreds of performers will take over Stockport, with everything from giant roller-skating presents to a living snow globe and roaming Christmas dolls.
There will also be street theatre, including grumpy Christmas grandads, a gigantic balloon man and water show.
Matthew Nichol Photography
Produced by carnival arts organisation Global Grooves and organised by Stockport Council, Totally Stockport, Merseyway and Stockport Market, the town centre will be buzzing with Christmas excitement.
Events will be happening in iconic Stockport locations like Market Place, Underbanks, Merseyway, Redrock and Suffragette Square.
A grand finale in Merseyway will bring together the brass bands of Stockport, ending the day with a huge flash mob and rendition of All You Need Is Love.
Cirq Delight
Cllr Singleton, Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Sport, said: “We’re so excited to bring this event back after last year’s amazing success.
“It’s such a fun way to get everyone in the festive spirit and really shows off what makes Stockport special – our sense of community and joy.
“With loads of free performances and activities, plus a chance to enjoy the newly improved areas of Merseyway, it’s a perfect day out for families.
“Stockport’s Spectacular Sunday is all about having fun, making memories, and starting the holiday season in style.”
Spectacular Sunday is happening from 11am to 5pm on Sunday November 17th – find out more HERE.
The prestigious Manchester Art Fair is back in town for its 16th year next month, bringing with it a vibrant gallery space showcasing thousands of works from over 500 artists.
One of the biggest and most significant events in the UK art world calendar, it’ll take over Manchester Central for three days, from Friday November 15th to 17th.
The city will be flooded with art from all corners of the world, championing everything from local heroes to new emerging talent, as well as international artists with worldwide acclaim.
Manchester Art Fair
A wide range of artistic disciplines will be represented at the event, from painters, illustrators, and sculptors to graffiti artists and everything in between.
Expect exhibitions, workshops, Q&A sessions, demos, book signings and parties happening across the event.
Tickets include free access to art workshops and talks from leading artists and cultural experts, and are on sale now.
You can grab them HERE.
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The VR gaming experience at airport where you can escape reality
The new FREE Christmas night market with over 40 traders from across our region
Free one-day Christmas festival returning to Stockport to kick off festive season
Simmons Bar opens first Northern site in Manchester with free drinks at launch party
The prestigious Manchester Art Fair is back in town for its 16th year
