15 family days out in Kent over the August bank holiday weekend
It’s time to get your friends and family together and make the most of the bank holiday weekend - and the last few days of summer.
Whether it’s food and drink festivals, wartime re-enactments, tribute bands or family theatre, Kent is full of great days out over the long weekend. Here’s our top picks…
BETTESHANGER COUNTRY PARK, Deal
Climb over giant blow-up walls, bounce over balls and see if you can beat the course record as one of the world’s largest inflatable obstacle courses returns to Kent. The Beast will be at Deal’s country park for three days, bringing its four-part course with rope swings, climbing walls and slides and, new for this year, there’s also a ‘mini bounce zone’ for kids.
Details: Saturday, August 24 to Monday, August 26 at Betteshanger Country Park in Deal. Tickets cost £15. Book online here.
BROGDALE FARM, Faversham
Sample the taste of summer with more than 40 different ciders to choose from. This year’s Cider Festival in Faversham will boast locally produced drinks and exclusive barrels of cider and Perry, along with tasty food to soak it all up. There will also be live music, craft activities, competitions and cider-making demonstrations and, if you’re getting the train, there is a free shuttle bus running from the station to the farm.
Details: Saturday, August 24 and Sunday, August 25 at Brogdale Farm in Faversham. Adult tickets cost £15. Book online here.
DOVER CASTLE
Brave knights will be stepping into the arena to take part in exhilarating battles at Dover Castle’s Clash of Knights weekend. The event features thrilling one-on-one combat and action-packed tournaments to determine which horseman is the strongest and most skilful of them all. In between battles, you can visit the Medieval camp with open-fire cooking and live folk musicians.
Details: Saturday, August 24 to Monday, August 26 at Dover Castle. Adult tickets cost £34. Book online here.
FIVE BELLS INN, near Ashford
Come along to the Five Bells’ traditional summer fete and enjoy a freshly cooked BBQ and plenty of family games. There will be entertainment from local bands and Morris dancers, gift and food stalls and a dog show where pups can take part in obstacle courses and compete in categories like Best Lookalike and Waggiest Tail.
Details: Monday, August 26 at the Five Bells Inn in East Brabourne, near Ashford. Entry is free, no need to book.
THE GULBENKIAN, Canterbury
Introduce your kids to the magic of theatre with bOing, an immersive arts festival aimed at families. The festival returns to Canterbury for a weekend of unique live performances, including a one-man circus, acrobatic displays, dance groups, puppet shows and storytelling for toddlers. There’s also an illuminated sculpture display, creative workshops, film screenings and more.
Details: Saturday, August 24 and Sunday, August 25 at the Gulbenkian Arts Centre at the University of Kent in Canterbury. Entry is free, some indoor performances are ticketed. Book online here.
HEVER CASTLE, near Edenbridge
Join a time-travelling adventure with History at Hever, a weekend of activities and characters from decades past. Visitors can explore everything from Medieval encampments and jousting tournaments to 20th century weaponry and suits of armour. There will also be high-octane battles in the arena and falconry displays taking to the skies.
Details: Saturday, August 24 to Monday, August 26 at Hever Castle, near Edenbridge. Adult tickets cost £23.35. Book online here.
HOWLETTS WILD ANIMAL PARK, near Canterbury
The Wild Summer continues at Howletts, showcasing a different species each week of the summer break. Over the bank holiday weekend, the wildlife park will be celebrating Gorilla Week with keeper talks, free feeding sessions, craft activities, an outdoor trail and facts about the world's largest collection of western lowland gorillas. If you visit on Monday of the bank holiday, you’ll also catch the start of Lemur Week.
Details: Gorilla Week runs until Sunday, August 25 at Howletts Wild Animal Park in Bekesbourne, near Canterbury. Adult tickets cost £25. Book online here.
HYTHE GREEN
The We Love Hythe Life Food Festival is an annual foodie event that has become a staple in the local area. The three-day festival will be heaving with more than 70 stalls serving spicy street food, indulgent desserts, artisan bakes, savoury snacks and refreshing drinks from across Kent and beyond.
Details: Saturday, August 24 to Monday, August 26 at Hythe Green. Entry is free, no need to book.
KENT EVENT CENTRE, near Maidstone
Step back in time and immerse yourself in days gone by at this year’s Military Odyssey. The three-day living history show spans a variety of periods, from the British Home Front to the GI resistance in the Vietnam War. There will be people re-enacting battles and creating wartime characters with authentic costumes and vehicle displays including tanks, jeeps and emergency vehicles. There will also be jive dancing, model displays and memorabilia stalls.
Details: Saturday, August 24 to Monday, August 26 at the Kent Event Centre in Detling, near Maidstone. Adult tickets start from £20. Book online here.
LEEDS CASTLE, Maidstone
A collection of stunning animal sculptures will be taking over the grounds of Maidstone’s Leeds Castle for six weeks. The Sculpture Safari is a display of wildlife-themed artwork created by local artists with a self-guided trail map for visitors to follow and find out facts about each piece. It also encourages visitors to explore the castle grounds, take in the beautiful summer gardens and learn about the surrounding wildlife.
Details: Saturday, August 24 to Sunday, October 6 at Leeds Castle, near Maidstone. Adult tickets start from £31.50. Book online here.
LINGFIELD PARK RACECOURSE, Surrey
If you’re willing to venture just outside of the county and across the Kent/Surrey border, you can spend a mouth-watering day at Mucky Boots Festival. The international street food festival has plenty of choice for hungry visitors, from crowd-pleasers for picky eaters to global cuisine like tacos and stir fries. There’s also DJ sets from Brandon Black and Steve Lee, dance performances and family activities.
Details: Saturday, August 24 at Lingfield Park Racecourse near the Kent/Surrey border. Adult tickets cost £25. Book online here.
QUEX PARK, Birchington-on-Sea
The Kent Country Show returns for the bank holiday weekend, and it’s bursting with things to do. There’s live entertainment from musicians, magicians, pirates, puppets and clowns and delicious cooking demonstrations from top chefs. Kids can have a go at archery and craft-making, while animal lovers can enjoy the dog show, birds of prey display and the petting zoo with farmyard animals.
Details: Sunday, August 25 and Monday, August 26 at Quex Park in Birchington-on-Sea. Adult tickets cost £11.50. Book online here.
STRODE PARK, Herne Bay
Sing and dance along to your favourite tunes at a huge tribute festival. The Kent Tribute Festival has two stages where impersonators will belt out floor-fillers by the likes of Luther Vandross, Take That, Ed Sheeran, Adele, Stereophones, Oasis, Bon Jovi and Queen. Crowds can fill up on snacks from food stalls and drinks from the licensed bars, and kids can have fun on the bouncy castle.
Details: Sunday, August 25 at Strode Park in Herne Bay. Adult tickets cost 39.50. Book online here.
SWANLEY PARK, near Dartford
What better way to kick off the long weekend than with a spectacular concert and fireworks display? The park will be taken over by community stalls, food stands and street entertainers before the Eynsford Concert Band take to the stage. The group will perform well-known classics and rousing anthems, and it all ends with a jaw-dropping fireworks finale.
Details: Friday, August 23 at Swanley Park. Entry is free, no need to book.
THREE TUNS, near Sittingbourne
There’s nothing quite like a bank holiday beer festival. The Three Tuns in Lower Halstow will be throwing its annual Kentish Beer and Cider Festival, a three-day event boasting more than 40 different drinks to sup. Grab a pint and enjoy live music from Ska Trek, Generations Showband, Loose Change, Top Guns and the Chillbillies, and don’t forget to pick up a bite from the food stalls - there’s burritos, burgers, hot dogs and nachos to choose from.
Details: Saturday, August 24 to Monday, August 26 at the Three Tuns in Lower Halstow, near Sittingbourne. Entry is free, no need to book.
