Free family fun in Bournemouth this summer
Thursday 21, July 2011
The South Coast’s premier holiday destination is launching one of the UK’s biggest programme of free events this summer – starting this Friday with a spectacular display of fireworks, making a return to Bournemouth Pier after an absence of five years.
These fantastic pyrotechnic displays can be viewed from East and West of the Pier at 10pm every Friday throughout August. As part of the Friday Family Fiesta’s, the fireworks are the finale to a host of activities starting at 7pm. Take the whole family along and enjoy stilt walkers, street performers and circus workshops. The fun takes place on 22 and 29 July and 5, 12 and 26 August.
But at the heart of the summer’s events is the Bournemouth Air Festival, 18-21 August, the biggest free event of its kind in the country, attracting crowds of up to 1.3 million people.
Now in its fourth year, it’s bigger than ever with spectacular aeronautical displays from the Red Arrows, Avro Vulcan, Hawk Jet, Spitfire, the fearless Breitling Wingwalkers and a Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (as seen at the William and Kate’s Royal Wedding) plus much more. Visit www.bournemouthair.co.uk for all the very latest information.
On the ground, there’ll be Royal Navy beach assaults, a Royal Navy climbing wall, RAF bands and the chance to meet the pilots themselves, and the seafront will be lined with one and a half miles of traders between Bournemouth and Boscombe’s iconic piers, offering a huge choice of stalls and refreshments. And when the sun goes down, there’ll be dusk displays from the Tigers Parachute Display Team, O’ Brien’s Flying Circus and the Glider FX. Where else in the UK can you get such fun-filled action set on seven miles of stunning beach – all for free?
Bournemouth’s much-loved Candlelight Nights returns this summer with a fresh new look. Watch the award-winning Lower Gardens become illuminated with hundreds of tea lights on Wednesday evenings, 27 July and 3, 10 and 24 August. And there’ll also be the chance to enjoy different shows in three zones - fire, music, and family zones with plenty of music and street entertainment. The fun starts at 6pm and ends at 10pm.
Throughout August, the Kids Fun Festival returns to keep children entertained every day (weather permitting) from 1 – 28 August. Enjoy shows and storytimes in the Lower Gardens, from favourite children’s characters, between 11am and 5pm.
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