The countdown is on to the first Chester Green Weekend

Preparations for the inaugural Chester Green Weekend are now in the final stages. Taking place next weekend on Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th June 2024, the event will coincide with the final two days of the national Great Big Green Week, bringing a family-friendly and festival vibe to various city-centre locations.

New to the city, Chester Green Weekend is a collaboration between ambassadors from Chester Great and Small (GAS), known for staging sustainability-themed events such as the Active Travel Festival, Green Expo, Sustainable Cheshire Fairs (EcoCommunities), and the ōH Design Foundation. They have now joined forces, with support from CWaC, Chester BID, We Love Good Times, and Reasonably Good.

The aim of the free-entry event is to spotlight Chester as a leading sustainability hub for the North West of England, encouraging both residents and visitors to make small changes today for a better shared future.

A special limited-edition Chester Green Weekend map, produced by WLGT, will detail over 100 activities such as workshops, walks and talks, artisan stalls, food, and entertainment across the city. Highlights include:

Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th June at Grosvenor Park:

• Sustainable Living Zone: Organised by Eco Communities, this zone will feature ‘Luggage Rummage’, an eco-version of a car boot sale pioneered in Australia, making its debut in Chester. Participants bring a picnic blanket and chair, along with two suitcases of pre-loved items, home makes or bakes, and homegrown vegetables, to sell at £10 per stall, per day.
• Nature Zone: Offering family-friendly activities from Chester Zoo and Cheshire Wildlife Trust.
• Innovation Zone: Presented by Green Expo, this zone will showcase ideas for making homes more environmentally friendly and provide alternative energy, water, waste, and transport solutions from local and national organisations.
• Walks & Talks: Led by Green Badge Guides, Katie Crowther and Gail Shearer. All walks start from Grosvenor Park Pavilion and end at the ōH Design Foundation on Bridge Street.
• Chester Cathedral: View the winners of the Green Expo Photo Competition in the cloisters and attend talks about ‘Cathedral at Height’ and the use of solar panels on a listed building.

ōH Design Foundation: Located at 22 Bridge Street, this venue will feature the Material Talks Programme, Green Table by Product Design, and the University of Chester, showcasing the best ideas for sustainable solutions, a seed bank, a street-food bar, and more.

Sunday, 16th June only: The Active Travel Festival (ATfest) returns after its successful premiere last year. Located primarily in Town Hall Square, the festival will feature Chester Cycling Campaign, the everyday walking charity Living Streets, and other organisations promoting walking, cycling, and triking around the city centre. Exchange Square will host stunt bike displays throughout the day, and both Storyhouse and New Chester Market will offer a variety of activities, including a lecture by Professor Peter Cox and maintenance demonstrations by the Bike Factory.

Helen Tandy, Chester Green Weekend project organiser and Eco Communities director, said: “We’re incredibly excited to host Chester’s first Green Weekend. Whether you’re already passionate about sustainability, interested in renewable energy, or just curious about a greener lifestyle, then this event is for you. From putting EV chargers and a repair hub on the High Street, our collective vision is for a zero-carbon Chester created by, and for, everyone. An exciting climate-friendly future is taking shape. Help us create it!”

Tim Kenney, chair of GAS, commented: “By hosting events such as these, we’re underlining Chester’s commitment to becoming a more progressive and liveable city. For such a compact place with so much going on, Chester is rather poor at communicating to a wider audience. There are a number of initiatives that GAS is helping to promote, and through collaboration and ‘joining up the dots’ we’re making it safer, greener, and more connected.”

To find out more about the full programme of the weekend’s events, visit: Chester Green Weekend What’s On.