FESTIVALS
FESTIVAL FEVER HITS KENT!
IT’S FESTIVAL SEASON ONCE AGAIN AND FROM NOW UNTIL WELL INTO
THE AUTUMN YOU CAN TAKE YOUR PICK OF THE EXCITING, ENTERTAINING
AND SPECTACULARLY DIFFERENT FESTIVALS ACROSS KENT AND BEYOND.
May Day Festival at Hever Castle
www.hevercastle.co.uk // 5-7 May Cranbrook Goes Nuts In May
www.cranbrookgoesnutsinmay.co.uk // 27 May
Join the Lord and
Lady of the May to see
the crowning of the
May Queen and dance
around the maypole
with brightly coloured
ribbons intertwined at
Hever Castle &
Gardens. There are
also demonstrations of
May Day Dancing
accompanied by 16th-
century music and a
playlet about the traditional story of the battle of the seasons.
Meet the mythical Jack-in-the-Green and follow the Green Man
from folklore in a traditional procession through the gardens as he
wakes up the plants for summer with the help of children and their
magical May bells. There’s also a Green Man trail through the castle
and facepainting (additional charge). After a hugely
successful
street festival in
2017, the
historic market
town of
Cranbrook
hosts
Cranbrook
Goes Nuts in
May. Once
again offering a plethora of stalls, demonstrations and family fun in
association with the Chelsea Fringe Festival – an alternative gardening
platform that encourages innovation and thinking outside the box –
Cranbrook’s take on that is to celebrate anything that grows and what
you can do with it, dead or alive! So expect festive fun in the High Street
which will be closed to traffic and festooned with this year’s theme of
butterflies and bees.
Sheppey SciFi // www.sheppeyscifi.co.uk // 2 June
Chiddingstone Castle Literary Festival
www.chiddingstonecastle.org.uk // 6-8 May
Set in the glorious house and
grounds of Chiddingstone Castle in
the Tudor village of Chiddingstone,
the festival returns for a third outing
in 2018. There is a deliberately eclectic
mix of renowned writers; of biography,
memoir, history, medicine, fiction,
crime, poetry, science, politics and
children’s books, to guarantee that the
festival truly offers something for
everyone, of all ages and interests.
Ensuring that it is a family affair, there
will also be children’s theatre performances, puppetry, life drawing,
modelling and creative writing workshops. Visitors can also tour the
castle’s collection of art and antiquities and enjoy delicious food and
drink throughout the day.
The Festival Theatre at Hever Castle
www.heverfestival.co.uk // 25 May – 26 August
Hever Festival Theatre’s 35th
anniversary season is a big
British summer celebration
of music, drama, comedy,
opera, cinema, talks and
family entertainment
performed in a magnificent
open air theatre against the
stunning backdrop of Hever Castle in Kent. Highlights from this year’s
richly varied programme include a dramatic musical adventure based
on the classic HG Wells novel The Time Machine; Squashbox Theatre’s
comedy puppet cabaret The Sea Show; comedians Tom Allen and Mark
Steel, jazz from Ronnie Scott’s All Stars, vintage vocal trio The Bailer
Dolls and firm festival favourite the Last Night of the Hever Prom.
Sheppey SciFi
is a new fun
geek-fest for all
the family. A
one-day
special at
Bartons Point,
Sheerness,
featuring
comic culture
characters
from the world
of film and TV,
Iron Man,
Captain
America, some fabulous replica props from Doctor Who including the
daleks, The Iconic Time Machine, the Knight Rider car, Back to the
Future, a giant Stargate, War of the Worlds, sci-fi memorabilia market,
and with special guests from TV and film plus fantasy island with star
crossed fairies and crazy pirates. There are also cosplay competitions
and guest panels. A great family day. Advance tickets are only £6 from
www.sheppeyscifi.co.uk (£8 on the day) U12s go free.
Cheese Fest // www.cheesefestuk.com/kent // 2-3 June
Join Cheese Fest for the
first time in Maidstone,
and experience some of
the UK’s best cheeses that
UK independent vendors
have on offer, from hot
street food traders
through to amazing
specialist artisan vendors
from all over the country.
Enjoy not only amazing food, but a great bar and music too.
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