Happy New Year Cheshire! 👋

If you’re done with leftovers and cabin fever but not quite ready for full “back to normal”, this week’s guide is all about gentle resets, low-key gigs and some genuinely good-value walks.

Let’s dive in!

Jump to:Fri Sat Sun Rest of Week

🎉 What’s On In Cheshire

🗓️ Fri · 2 Jan

🦊 Sonic & Tails Meet & Greet
2 Jan, various times, Castaway Play, Congleton
Indoor play plus character visits – ideal if you want to treat the kids without freezing in a park.
👉 Details

🚶‍♀️ New Year Queens Park Crewe Walk – all welcome
2 Jan, 10-12pm, Queens Park, Crewe
Gentle social walk with tea or coffee after – start the year with fresh air, friendly faces and well-behaved dogs on leads.
👉 Details

🐾 Half Price Zoo Days at Holmes Chapel Zoo
2-4 Jan, opening hours, Holmes Chapel Zoo, Holmes Chapel
Budget-friendly New Year family trip with animal encounters, wallaby walkthrough and keeper talks for half the usual entry price.
👉 Details

🎭 Snow White the Panto
2-4 Jan, 7pm, Evans Theatre, Wilmslow Leisure Centre, Wilmslow
Classic family panto from CHYPS with all the boos, hisses and silly gags you’d expect – nice local option if you’ve skipped the big-city shows.
👉 Details

🚂 A Celebration of the Railways
2 Jan, 10am-5pm, Weaver Hall Museum and Workhouse, Northwich
Exhibition on the history of Northwich’s railways in a cracking local museum – good low-key outing for transport-mad kids (and grandparents).
👉 Details

🗓️ Sat · 3 Jan

💃 Gladiator Zumba
3 Jan, 11:30am & 2:30pm sessions, Chester Amphitheatre, Chester
Free, drop-in Zumba sessions in the Chester Amphitheatre – dance where gladiators once stood and bank some New Year steps.
👉 Details

🎷 Cheshire Soul Club
3 Jan, 7:30pm-late, Cheshire Soul Club, Middlewich
Classic soul night with DJs and a friendly regular crowd – proper old-school night out without trekking to a big city.
👉 Details

🎸 The Ultimate Stone Roses w/support from Corteeners
3 Jan, 8pm, Alexander’s Live, Chester
High-energy tribute night packed with Roses anthems and indie favourites – ideal if you fancy a loud, nostalgic start to the year.
👉 Details

🗓️ Sun · 4 Jan

🎭 Beauty and the Beast
4 Jan, various show times, Storyhouse, Chester
Final chance to catch Storyhouse’s big Christmas panto – smart, funny and high-production, with enough in-jokes for grown-ups.
👉 Details

🚶 New Year Aqueduct Marina Walk
4 Jan, 10am, Aqueduct Marina, near Nantwich
Guided walk from the marina along canal and countryside – sociable and not too hardcore if you’re easing back into things.
👉 Details

☕ Roastery Ramble
4 Jan, 10:30am, Kickback Coffee Roastery, Macclesfield
Guided local walk finishing back at the roastery – coffee, chat and steps in, all in one go.
👉 Details

🗓️ REST OF THE WEEK (Mon-Thu)

🎭 Peter Pan
4-10 Jan, various times, Frodsham Community Centre, Frodsham
Community panto for Frodsham’s 50th year of pantomime – all the flying, pirates and “do you believe in fairies?” moments you’d expect.
👉 Details

🎨 Winter Craft at Wharton Library
5 Jan, 3-4:30pm, Wharton Library, Winsford
Free family craft drop-in – good after-school option if everyone’s a bit fractious.
👉 Details

🚶 Caldy Valley Amblers Wellbeing Walk
5 Jan, 11-11:40am, Caldy Valley Nature Park, Chester
Short, steady-paced walk with leaders – perfect if you want easy exercise and a chat.
👉 Details

🧘 Reset and Renew – Night of Zen
6 Jan, 7:15-8:45pm, Wistaston Memorial Hall, near Crewe
Breathwork, gentle movement and guided relaxation – very “new year, softer you” without the gym membership.
👉 Details

🧁 Cupcake & Cake Decorating Course
6 Jan, 2-4pm, Cheshire Cakes Studio, Castle Park Arts Centre, Frodsham
Six-week decorating course; learn piping, toppers and finishes – handy if birthdays and bake sales loom.
👉 Details

💃 LATINMania! Salsa Week at Alexander’s
7 Jan, 7-11:30pm, Alexander’s Live, Chester
Cuban salsa classes for all levels followed by a late SBK social – turn a dull January Wednesday into a proper dance night.
👉 Details

🧘 Mindfulness and Meditation for Health and Wellbeing (4-week course)
8 Jan, 7-9pm, Hoole Community Centre, Chester
Gentle, practical four-week course from Chester Buddhist Centre to help you de-stress, reset and build simple meditation habits.
👉 Details

🎄 East Cheshire Hospice Christmas Tree Collection 2026
10-11 Jan, all day, across CW12, SK9, SK10, SK11, SK12 & WA16 (Macclesfield & surrounding areas)
Book your real tree for doorstep collection and recycling, with donations supporting East Cheshire Hospice’s care.
👉 Details

💎 Hidden Gem: Whitegate Way (Winsford-Cuddington)

If you want fresh air without mud up to your knees, Whitegate Way is a very safe bet. This 6-mile traffic-free path follows a disused salt railway between Winsford and Cuddington, threading through cuttings, woodland and open views over the Vale Royal countryside.

It’s wide, well-surfaced, and pretty much flat, so it works for buggies, little cyclists and less-confident walkers. Start from the old Whitegate Station, and you’ve got parking, toilets and a volunteer-run cafe in the preserved station building – handy carrot to dangle for kids (or yourself).

You can head 3 miles one way towards Winsford or 3 miles the other way towards Cuddington, or just do an out-and-back to suit energy levels. There are benches dotted along the route, glimpses of old railway features and the odd peek across to Newchurch Common and the surrounding woods.

Because it’s an old railway, the gradients are kind, but it still feels like a “proper outing” – especially if you tag on a detour towards the Weaver Parkway or combine it with a pub or cafe stop nearby.

Practical bits

Start/parking: Whitegate Station car park off the A54 (signed from A556), with toilets, picnic area and cafe.
Distance: Up to 6 miles / 10km one way; do as much or as little as you like.
Time: 1.5 hours end-to-end at a brisk pace; 2-3 hours for a family amble with stops.
Grade: Easy – almost entirely level, old railway line.
Terrain: Firm, crushed-stone path; barrier-free from the station section and suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs in good weather.
Dogs: Very dog-friendly; keep on a lead around other users and livestock.