Tripboat rides, canoeing, water walking balls at Chesterfield Canal Festival

Staveley Canal Festival will be held at Staveley Canal Basin on June 24 and 24, 2023.

Organisers of a popular festival are pushing the boat out to ensure summertime fun for families.

Tripboat rides, canoeing, water walking balls, bumper boats and spinning bumper cars will be among attractions at this year’s Chesterfield Canal Festival.

There will be birds of prey, Newfoundland dogs, wildlife groups, craft and charity stalls.

Children will be able to have a go on a mini-digger or have their faces painted.

The festival will be held at Staveley Town Basin on June 24 and 25, 2023, from 10am to 5pm.

Free entertainment will include music, dance and street theatre all day, both in the big marquee and outside by the lock.

All four of Chesterfield Canal Trust’s tripboats, two of which have wheelchair lifts, will be in action during the festival.

There will be concerts on the Friday and Saturday nights of festival weekend, starting at 7.30 p.m. Friday will see the return of the ever-popular Swing Commanders, whilst Saturday will feature Chesterfield’s own WonderWhys. Tickets for both concerts are available from the Chesterfield Canal Trust website.

On Monday, June 26, a flotilla of the four tripboats will travel from Staveley Basin up the canal to Tapton and back, with stops at Hollingwood Hub and Tapton Lock covering 10 miles and 12 locks.

On Tuesday, June 27, there will be a What, Where and When Restoration Walk to show how the canal’s route looks at present before the major restoration works start next year.

Chesterfield Canal Trust runs the annual festival which attracts hundreds of visitors. The event helps to raise awareness of the restoration work which volunteers are doing along the 46-mile stretch of waterway. The trust is aiming to have the last nine miles restored by 2027 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the opening of the canal. Over the past 31 years more than 12 miles of the canal have been restored as have 37 locks and 11 bridges; two new marinas have also been built.

If you would like to run a stall at the festival, bring a boat or require further information, email: [email protected] or call 01246 477569.