The much-anticipated Frome Children’s Festival opens at 10am on Sunday, 23rd July.

With a determined aim to be as accessible as possible, there will be no charge for any of the activities planned -of which there are over forty! There is a policy of, apart from food, no selling and no brand merchandising on site. With this in mind, local charity Purple Elephant are planning for their biggest and best festival yet.

Thanks to funding from Arts Council England, Frome Town Council, the Rotary Clubs of Frome, Selwood Housing, Green and Healthy Frome and the Postcode Lottery; plus local business sponsors La Strada, Catherine Court Dentistry and Sydenham’s Builders Merchant (for its generator and materials used to build on-site recycling boxes) as well as partner organisation Fair Frome (providers of free make-your-own wrap-and-roll snacks), organisers predict this is going to be a fantastic day.

Thanks also to a bevy of brilliant, unpaid volunteers, young and old, who will support the day. Integral to making this event happen are the Frome Town Council Rangers, the Men’s Shed and Critchill School students who have together been making recycling boxes ready for the big day.

The ninth free Frome Children’s Festival will be starting off in style outside the Cheese and Grain, running along both sides of the river and into Welshmill park with community musicians, the Frome Street Bandits. With the theme of Climate Action and the arts high on the agenda, as well as accessible dance sessions from Flamingo Chicks, amazing magic from Rocky’s Magic Parties and puppet shows throughout the day, audiences will be treated to performances from local dazzling singalong Wild Words Theatre, plus families will have the chance to see a new play with music from enchanting and innovative, Olivier-winning Little Bulb Theatre.

For those looking to burn up excess energy or to take part in creative fun, there will be BMX action on the pump track, brought to the town by King Ramps, made possible this year by the direct, full sponsorship of Catherine Court Dentistry, Frome. There will also be two Zip Wires across the river, den-building, Boccia and basketball as well as bee-hotel and terrarium-making.

Creative workshops include one run by The Pod Scrapstore and its members, a pre-show Playshop with Wild Words Theatre, making blood-curdling sheep and monstrous windmills, plus the chance to create music in a fully-equipped professional recording studio, with Young People Frome (bookable in advance, via Purple Elephant). As well as storytelling, face-painting, glitter tattoos, mural-painting and a Sensory room, Climate-aware young people and teenagers of the town from Frome College and Avanti Park School eco-groups will be running their own recycling, reuse and nature-led activities, including badge-making.

There will also be a Climate Action photo booth, a mini-cinema and a Teen-Tent offering festival-goers the chance to dance at its silent disco and enjoy mocktail refreshments. Hope Frome Van will be providing water and a chance to chill in their respite tent. As in previous years, the festival will offer a Fast-Pass wristband option for those with additional needs and disabilities, to allow those who need to, to take their place at the front of the queue. Stewards will be on hand to assist with queuing and will be happy to help families in need of assistance to experience the day to its fullest.

Fast-Pass wristbands will be available on the day at either of the Welcome Desks (one at Welshmill, one outside the Cheese and Grain) as well as from stewards. Two experienced Family Support Workers will be in attendance for families in need of additional support. Purple Elephant encourage those families who would like additional assistance on-site to please pre-book via email or social media, before 23 July, to arrange a suitable arrival time to meet their needs.

Exciting additional visitors due to arrive on the day include Druscilla, the Frome Dragon, and coming to Frome direct from Glastonbury Festival, Gusita the Giant Tyre Turtle as well as the just-announced, world-renowned contemporary circus experts, Circomedia.

However, as Purple Elephant founder Sue Willis explains “Money is become increasingly hard to access during difficult times and Purple Elephant is a charity providing year-round family and child support services for often very vulnerable people, not just a yearly festival for all. We are asking anyone who can, to give a donation of £5 per person. We estimate that if everyone who came gave £5 per child, we would already be over half way to ensuring the festival returns for its anniversary 10th birthday next year!”.

Frome Children’s Festival will be held on Sunday 23rd July, from 10am to 4pm.

Booking is not required, but for more details or to contact the organisers, go to www.PurpleElephant.org.uk