As spring arrives on our doorsteps gilding the grass with daffodils, Easter comes with it. As usual, there’s plenty to keep the family busy in and around the Cotswolds; here is our pick of 15 Easter events to get you out and about!
Easter Adventure at Over Farm, Gloucester [March 28 – April 6]
Over Farm, a mile outside Gloucester centre in a pleasant rural location, is hosting its largest ever Easter event this year. It will include an Easter tractor trailer ride, arts and crafts, fairground and a chance to see the spring lambs and chicks, as well as other resident animals such as ostriches, pigs, chickens and donkeys. Visitors can also try their hand at duck racing, have their face painted and hunt for hidden letters on the Easter trail! A selection of Over Farm-made food and hot and cold drinks will be available on the day. Entry to Over’s Easter event is free, with attractions operating on a ticketing or pay as-you-go basis from £1.50 per attraction. Visit the website for more details.
Easter at The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury [March & April - various dates]
The Roses Theatre have a selection of Easter treats lined up for families this year, from twirling workshops to fresh performances of Roald Dahl classics. Vienna Festival Ballet will be performing classic routines from Tchaikovsky’s ballets in their 35th Anniversary Gala, Magician Christian Lee will combine illusion and comedy in his family-friendly show POP!, and there’s movie fun with screenings of Disney’s Big Hero 6, Shaun the Sheep as well as the lovable Paddington. Ticket prices vary and can be booked through The Roses Theatre Box Office on 01684 295074 or by visiting the website.
Blenheim Palace Easter Weekend, Oxfordshire [April 3-6]
There is plenty of family fun to be had over Easter at Blenheim Palace, including an Easter Egg Hunt around the Pleasure Gardens, with puzzles to be solved and prizes to be won, and a traditional Victorian fairground with a Lighthouse Helter Skelter, Victorian carousel, tea cups and Victorian swing boats. Other family activities will include Punch & Judy Shows, Circus Skills Workshops, a bouncy castle as well as face painting and crafts. Food, refreshments and Easter treats will be available in the Pleasure Gardens Deli, and there are the usual family activities at The Pleasure Gardens including the giant Marlborough Hedge Maze, The Butterfly House and the Adventure Playground. Visit the website for more details.
Great Egg Hunt at Cotswold Farm Park, Gloucestershire [March 28 - April 12]
Aside from the usual animal fun at Adam Henson’s Cotswold Farm Park, this Easter you can join the ‘Great Egg Hunt’. Each day, 200 eggs will be hidden around the park; keep your eyes peeled and do your best to find them and receive a special prize. Easter crafts, games and ask the ‘eggs-pert’ sessions complement the usual lambing schedule. Visit the website for more details.
Easter at Gloucester Cathedral, Gloucestershire [March & April - various dates]
What better place to mark one of the most important festivals in the Christian calender than in the hallowed grounds of Gloucester Cathedral? This Easter, the cathedral will host the usual annual ceremonies and sermons exploring the significance of the Easter period to Christians. There will also be a special Easter trail around the cathedral for families to enjoy. On Good Friday, Gloucester Cathedral and the city’s churches come together for the second year running to stage the Passion, the last hours of Christ in the streets of Gloucester. The performance will take place from 10am at the gates of Gloucester Cathedral. For more information, visit the website.
Easter Egg Time at Puzzlewood, Gloucestershire [March 30 - April 6]
Following its seasonal opening in February, Puzzlewood is an enchanting woodland for families to explore, and this Easter there will be an additional reason to visit - an Easter egg hunt! Search the woods high and low, the Easter Bunnies have dropped them everywhere. Gather up the clues, collect your prize and at the same time enter the Easter Competition to win an Annual Pass for a family of 4 to Puzzlewood. For more information, visit the website.
Owl Evening at Cotswold Falconry Centre, Moreton-in-Marsh [April 11]
Cotswold Falconry Centre houses around 150 Birds of Prey, including various breeds of Owl. With their Owl Evenings, individuals have the opportunity to see the bird’s behaviour first-hand and up-close! They begin with a guided tour of the Owl woods where you will be able to ask questions about the owls of the world and see the owls as they start their evening calls. There are chances to see various owls in flight during demonstrations, too. Availability is limited so check the website for details.
Easter trails at Corinium Museum & Chedworth Roman Villa, Gloucestershire [March 28 - April 12]
Chedworth Roman Villa have partnered with Corinium Museum to run a series of special Hare family trails. Visit the sites to do the trail and win a special prize at the end of your visit. Costs £1 per trail. Visit the websites for more details - Corinium Museum / Chedworth Roman Villa
Easter Challenge at Westonbirt, Tetbury [March 30 - April 3]
Visitors to Westonbirt Arboretum can enjoy an additional challenge if they visit across the Easter period; see if you can solve the Easter riddle to claim your sweet reward! There will also be different seasonal crafts and trails each week for the family to enjoy. Visit the website for more details.
Hatter’s Tea Party at Gloucester Blackfriars, Gloucester [April 5]
On Easter Sunday, join Alice, the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat and more at Gloucester Blackfriars for a Wonderland-inspired madcap family event. In addition to the popular characters’ company, visitors can enjoy a petting zoo, live music, fun-filled workshops, snacks, drinks and both the Disney classic and Tim Burton’s recent take on the Lewis Carroll classic will be screened throughout the day. There will be two sessions on the day, the first running from 11am until 2pm and the second from 3pm to 6pm. Tickets for Hatter’s Tea Party are £7.50 per child and £2 for each accompanying adult. Visit the website for more information.
Easter Egg Hunt, Sudeley Castle, Gloucestershire [from April 1]
Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Cotswolds, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Sudeley Castle & Gardens has played an important role in the turbulent and changing times of England’s past, with royal connections that stretch back over 1000 years. In addition to the usual attractions, this Easter visitors can enjoy a new living willow maze and Easter Egg hunt! Hunt for the golden eggs hidden around the maze and find the dens of Ratty, Mole and Badger. There will also be face motif painting and Easter themed arts and crafts. For more information, visit the website.
Giant Duck Hunt at WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire [March 28 - April 12]
A group of enormous (rubber) ducks will be landing at Slimbridge this Easter - can your family spot them all?
Pick up an activity sheet on arrival at the Wetlands, then set off on a fun hunt which will take you all round the grounds. Spot all the ducks and receive a yummy treat on your return. This Easter holiday there will also be some fun Easter arts and crafts so you can make something to take home. While you are on the hunt, keep an eye out for ducklings, handfeed some geese and go to hear an otter talk! Visit the website for more details.
Go Ape in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire [runs throughout the year]
For those looking for a hit of adrenaline over Easter, why not try Go Ape in the Forest of Dean? Go Ape combines the thrill of traversing obstacle courses, zip wires and rope swings at tree-top level with the opportunity to enjoy nature and the forest landscape. For those who want to stay firmly on the ground, you can try the Forest Segway Experience instead; tackling the trails of The Forest on rugged all-terrain two-wheel segways. For more information, visit the website.
Loved and Local Festival, Cheltenham [March 28-29]
Whole Foods Market store are hosting the brand new Loved and Local Festival this Easter weekend, the first in a monthly series of food and entertainment events. The Loved and Local Festival will bring together talented artisan food and drink producers from across the region. Visitors can expect to try a range of produce across 25 stalls, including Cotswold honey, real ales and fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetables from local farms. Producers signed up for this month’s event will include Pieminister, British Cassis, Sadler’s Ales and protein snack producer, Pulsin. Shoppers can expect lots of tasty samples, a BBQ and a vintage London Routemaster bus, where guests can sit back and relax whilst they enjoy some of the tasty food on offer. There will be plenty for the kids to enjoy too, with face painting, art activities, a giant Connect4 and interactive maths and English games, courtesy of Explore Learning Cheltenham. And there will be live music performed by local artists from Studio 340. For more information, visit the website
Gloucester Quays Spring Fest, Gloucester [March 28-29]
This Easter weekend, Gloucester Quays welcomes Spring Fest, four days of family fun, outdoor activities and Outlet shopping.
Children are invited to journey into a real hedge maze and meet magical characters from Alice in Wonderland, with surprises hidden around every corner. Visitors can relax in The Secret Garden, with live music on the lawn and delicious food and drink from a range of regional and national producers. Pillar and Lucy Square will host the 7-metre high climbing wall for those who are brave enough to take on the challenge, with additional free giant games to entertain the family.
There will also be an open-air market hosting over 100 stalls; transforming the Centre’s outdoor space into a bustling market place. Plus a pop-up Quayside Tea Room will offer delicious home-made cakes, scones and a wide range of teas. For more information, visit the website.
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Enjoy Easter and keep your fingers crossed for good weather (because nobody wants a soggy Easter egg)!
