Good Morning Cheshire! 👋
What a week to be out and about. Chester gets a proper Caribbean street festival, Astle Park hosts one of the county’s finest country fairs, Roman Day brings the gladiators back to the Roodee, and by the time you reach Thursday the Knutsford Music Festival is firing up four days of folk, bluegrass and Latin dancing in the streets. Plenty to get stuck into…
Let’s dive in!
| Jump to:FriSatSunRest of Week |
🎉 What’s On In Cheshire
🗓️ Fri · 29 May
⭐ Editor's Pick
🌴 Chester Caribbean Festival – Opening day
Fri 29 May-Sun 31 May, 12pm-9pm (Sun until 8pm), Chester Northgate, Exchange Square, Chester
A free, no-booking-required Caribbean festival takes over Exchange Square for the whole weekend – an open-air jerk BBQ by Turtle Bay championing Geoff Hughes Family Butchers and Chester Market Fishmongers, a Carib Brewery pop-up bar with a free drinks token for sign-ups, live dance performances from the University of Chester Dance Society, and authentic Caribbean food, music and culture throughout.
👉 Details
🐍 Go Wild Spring Camp – Animal Teach
Fri 29 May, 10am-3pm, Warrington Market, 6 Time Square, Warrington WA1 2 (FREE)
Meet snakes, lizards, bugs, geckos and more at Warrington Market’s Mezzanine level – Animal Teach bring their hands-on wildlife sessions back for another day of creepy-crawly brilliance. No booking needed, sessions run every 20-30 minutes.
👉 Details
🎸 Gas Künst + Bau Cat
Fri 29 May, 7pm, The Live Rooms, Chester
Frog Rock meets Garage Punk as Gas Künst bring their brilliantly odd genre-blending sound to Chester with support from Bau Cat. Weird, energetic and completely their own thing.
👉 Details
🏛️ Chester Heritage Festival – ongoing
Runs to Sun 7 Jun, various venues, Chester (FREE and ticketed events)
The two-week festival continues throughout this week – walks, talks, films, heritage cruises and workshops exploring 2,000 years of Chester’s history.
👉 Details
🌿 NGS Open Garden – 10 Statham Avenue, Lymm
Fri 29 May (also Sat 30 May), 10 Statham Avenue, Lymm
A beautifully structured quarter-acre south-facing terraced garden rising to the Bridgewater towpath – old twisted hazel arches, clay-paved courtyard and far-reaching views. Homemade teas.
👉 Details
🗓️ Sat · 30 May
⭐ Editor's Pick
🌾 Astle Park Country Fair – Day One
Sat 30 May, 9am-5pm, Astle Park, Chelford, Macclesfield
One of Cheshire’s finest country fairs – classic cars, fire engines, military vehicles, traction engines, falconry, gun dog scurries, scurry driving, have-a-go activities, live arena shows, food stalls, a licensed bar and evening entertainment.
👉 Details
🏇 Roman Day – Chester Racecourse
Sat 30 May, 11:30am, Chester Racecourse, The Roodee, Chester
One of Chester Racecourse’s most popular family race days – live racing on the world’s oldest course, Roman stunt shows, Gladiator Bootcamps, archery, Chester Heritage Festival activities, Roman artefacts and an interactive outdoor learning camp. Kids 17 and under go free.
👉 Details
💃 Sandbach Day of Dance 2026
Sat 30 May, 10am-5pm, Sandbach Town Centre (FREE)
13 Morris and traditional folk dance sides performing at 7 locations across Sandbach town centre throughout the day, finishing with a dance-off and the awarding of the coveted “Sandbach Stick.” A brilliant, completely free spectacle on the cobbles.
👉 Details
🌴 Chester Caribbean Festival – Day Two
Sat 30 May, 12pm-9pm, Chester Northgate, Exchange Square, Chester (FREE)
Day two of the free Caribbean festival – food, music and dancing in the city centre. Come hungry.
👉 Details
💧 Winsford Water Festival 2026
Sat 30 May, 12pm, Marina Island, Station Road, Winsford, Cheshire
The popular community festival returns to Winsford’s stunning waterside setting – live music, water sports demonstrations, family activities and local food and drink.
👉 Details
🎸 Philip Sayce – Planet Rock Presents
Sat 30 May, 7pm, The Live Rooms, Chester
Planet Rock Radio’s “soulful master of the Stratocaster” returns for a new UK tour – blistering fretwork, soul-stirring ballads and a new live album. Jeff Healey protégé, Melissa Etheridge collaborator, and one of the finest guitarists on the circuit.
👉 Details
🌱 Make a Terrarium Workshop – Tatton Park
Sat 30 May, 10:30am-11:30am, Tatton Park Gardens, Knutsford
Build your own sealed cloche terrarium with experienced partners Green & Grounded -layer soils, plant a coffee plant centrepiece and learn how a self-sustaining ecosystem works. Take your creation home at the end. No experience needed. Includes garden entry.
👉 Details
🗓️ Sun · 31 May
⭐ Editor's Pick
🌾 Astle Park Country Fair – Day Two
Sun 31 May, 9am-5pm, Astle Park, Chelford, Macclesfield
Day two adds heavy horses to the programme alongside all the arena shows, vintage vehicles, country sports and family activities from Saturday.
👉 Details
🌴 Chester Caribbean Festival – Final Day
Sun 31 May, 12pm-8pm, Chester Northgate, Exchange Square, Chester (FREE)
Last chance for jerk BBQ, Carib beer and live Caribbean culture in the heart of Chester. Free entry, no booking needed.
👉 Details
🧘 Yoga + Pizza Sunset Social – Tipis at Primrose
Sun 31 May, 7pm, Tipis at Primrose Hill Nurseries, Warrington Road, High Legh, Knutsford
An evening of sunset yoga in the tipis at Primrose Hill Nurseries, followed by wood-fired pizza and a social in one of Cheshire’s most magical outdoor settings. The kind of Sunday evening that makes summer in Cheshire feel special.
👉 Details
🏃 Tatton Park Trail Runs 2026
Sun 31 May, 10am, Tatton Park, Knutsford WA16 6SG
10K or Half Marathon trail runs through one of Cheshire’s finest estates – deer, wildlife and woodland on paths, grass and some tarmac. Part of the Wild Deer Hybrid Weekend. All finishers receive a medal, Wild Deer merchandise, a snack and a drink.
👉 Details
🚗 Avro German Car Day 2026
Sun 31 May, 8:30am, Avro Heritage Museum, Chester Road, Woodford, Stockport
Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche and more gather at Avro Heritage Museum for a full day of German automotive excellence – club displays, trade stands, food and the iconic Vulcan B2 Bomber as the backdrop.
👉 Details
🚂 Model Rail Crewe – Model Railway Exhibition
Sun 31 May, 11am-5pm, The Coppenhall Club, 103 North Street, Crewe
Scale layouts, traders, clubs and societies gather for one day in Crewe – a proper model railway exhibition for enthusiasts of all ages. £7 in advance, £8 on the door. Free entry for under-12s with a paying adult.
👉 Details
🛒 Blakemere Car Boot Sale
Sun 31 May, from 7am, Blakemere Village, Chester Road, Sandiway, Northwich
Free entry for buyers, £7 for a car pitch. Rows of finds on a Sunday morning with Blakemere’s 30+ independent shops open all around you.
👉 Details
🌿 Spring Explorer Trail at Blakemere
Running now, Blakemere Village, Chester Road, Sandiway, Northwich (FREE)
Part of Blakemere’s Spring Explorer activities – a free family trail around the village grounds exploring nature and the outdoors. Pick up a trail sheet on arrival and let the kids roam.
👉 Details
🌿 Tirley Garth Gardens – NGS Open Day
Sun 31 May, Tirley Garth, Utkinton Road, Tarporley
A spectacular 40-acre terraced and landscaped garden designed by Thomas Mawson – considered the leading garden designer of early 20th-century
Britain. Open just once a year. Not to be missed.
👉 Details
🗓️ REST OF THE WEEK
🎵 Knutsford Music Festival – Opens
Thu 4 Jun (runs to Sun 7 Jun), various venues across Knutsford town centre
Now in its ninth year and curated once again by BBC Radio’s Mark Radcliffe, Knutsford Music Festival launches this Thursday. Opening night features The Rip Roaring Success – the hottest Western Swing band east of El Paso, at Knutsford Little Theatre.
👉 Details
🎬 Moonlight Flicks at Rooftop Social Club – Back to the Future
Thu 4 Jun, Rooftop Social Club, Pepper Street Car Park, Chester
The weekly open-air cinema series at Chester’s rooftop venue continues this week with the 80’s classic Back to the Future!
👉 Details
🔥 Weber BBQ Masterclass – Bents Garden & Home
Thu 4 Jun, 6pm-9pm, Bents Garden & Home, Warrington Road, Glazebury, Warrington
Certified by Weber – a hands-on evening where you cook a full four-course menu across a range of barbecues, guided by grill masters. Practical instruction, demos and tastings throughout. Take home a Weber apron, digital recipe booklet and certificate.
👉 Details
🍺 Off the Tracks Beer Tasting Club
Thu 4 Jun, Spitting Feathers Brewery, Waverton, Chester (dog-friendly)
Spitting Feathers’ legendary brewery tap pulls out a curated selection of their craft ales for a relaxed guided tasting session. One of the finest small breweries in the North West, in a setting that couldn’t be more Cheshire if it tried.
👉 Details
🧺 LOCAL CRAFT MARKETS
Congleton Makers Market – Sat 30 May | 👉 Details
Nantwich Farmers Market – Sat 30 May | 👉 Details
Frodsham Artisan Market – Sat 30 May | 👉 Details
Treacle Market Macclesfield – Sun 31 May | 👉 Details
Chester Vegan Market – Sun 31 May | 👉 Details
🗓️ DATES FOR THE DIARY
Knutsford Music Festival – Thu 4-Sun 7 Jun | Knutsford town centre 👉 Details
Chester Beer Festival – Fri 5-Sat 6 Jun | Chester Town Hall 👉 Details
Classic & Performance Car Spectacular – Sat 6-Sun 7 Jun | Tatton Park, Knutsford 👉 Details
Cheshire Afrofest – Sat 6 Jun | Queen’s Park, Crewe (FREE) 👉 Details
Comic Con Mania Chester – Sun 7 Jun | Chester Racecourse 👉 Details
Royal Cheshire County Show – Tue 16-Wed 17 Jun | Cheshire Showground, Knutsford 👉 Details
Kelsall Steam & Vintage Rally -25th Anniversary – Sat 20-Sun 21 Jun | nr Chester 👉 Details
Bridgemere Show Gardens Food Festival – Sat 27-Sun 28 Jun 👉 Details
💎 Hidden Gem: Etherow Country Park, Compstall
Compstall is one of those places that exists five minutes from the M60 and feels like it belongs in a different century. The village grew up around a cotton mill in the 1820s, and while the mill is long gone, the mill pond – now the George Downing Reserve – remains, turned into a wildlife haven and the centrepiece of one of east Cheshire’s most rewarding country parks.
The walk takes you from Compstall village along the River Etherow, which forms the county boundary between Cheshire and Greater Manchester here. The riverside path is ancient and beautiful – mature oak and alder woodland, wildflowers in the verges, and in early summer the chance to spot kingfishers hunting along the shallows. The route loops around the reservoir, through Ernocroft Wood, and back through the village via the weir and the old mill buildings. Around 3 miles in total, mostly flat, and well-marked throughout.
The Andrew Arms in the village centre is the reward at the end, for a traditional pub atmosphere, with good food and a beer garden overlooking the river.
Practical bits:
Start: Compstall Road car park, Compstall, Stockport SK6 5JD (free parking)
Distance: 3 miles circular
Time: 1.5 hours at a relaxed pace
Terrain: Mostly flat riverside and woodland paths. Can be muddy after rain – boots recommended
Dogs: Welcome throughout and at both pub options
Getting there: Off the B6104 between Marple and Romiley. No practical bus route – easiest by car
The stop: The Andrew Arms, Compstall Road SK6 5JE
That’s it for this week.
Thanks for reading The Cheshire Buzz! See you next Thursday – same time, same inbox.
