2025 Family Festival

Aston Clinton Family Festival 2025

The annual Family Festival in the Park remains the event highlight of the year in the Parish Council’s calendar, and this year’s event on Saturday 14th June 2025 was no exception. Months of dedicated planning and tireless effort went into delivering a day that ran seamlessly and was enjoyed by a record number of visitors. Once again, the weather was on our side, creating the perfect atmosphere for a packed programme of activities, entertainment, and community spirit.

We were treated to an exciting mix of dance and Zumba demonstrations, fairground rides, vintage cars, Zorbs and slides, and the ever-popular animal petting zoo. One of the day’s standout attractions was the fantastic dog show, expertly run and generously sponsored by Carly of Clips Dog Grooming.

This year, we were delighted to welcome an increased number of community groups and retail stalls, offering a wonderful variety of handmade crafts, face painting, homemade cakes, books, jewellery, and more. A delicious selection of food and drink vendors ensured nobody went hungry or thirsty, although, unsurprisingly, the ice cream stands drew the longest queues during the sunny afternoon!

Community fundraising was in full swing with activities ranging from penalty shootouts and crockery smashing to raffles, bake sales, and more. Our chosen charity partner, the brilliant Kirby’s Herd a local cancer support charity raised a phenomenal £1,300 through their well supported raffle, thanks to the generous prize donations from local businesses, all of whom are gratefully acknowledged on our thank you banner.

Music once again filled the air, courtesy of the much loved Ellesborough Silver Band, performing from the Red Kite Pavilion balcony. Their extended sets were a highlight of the day, especially their stirring rendition of “633 Squadron,” which beautifully coincided with a breathtaking Lancaster bomber flypast from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. Our heartfelt thanks go to the RAF for including our park in such a memorable moment.

Of course, none of this would be possible without the dedication of our volunteers, and we owe immense gratitude to all who made the event a success. Special thanks go to our Events Team and supporting councillors, as well as set-up heroes Ashley, Chloe, Bryony, and Jon, who assisted stallholders with unloading, gazebo assembly, and traffic management until the marshals arrived. Our park keeper Ken also deserves recognition for maintaining the park’s pristine condition and lending a helping hand during setup.

A heartfelt congratulations to the talented young artists from Aston Clinton School, whose creativity shone through in this year’s poster competition. Prizes were awarded to winners, runners up, and a new Highly Commended category, with recipients receiving an Amazon voucher and a framed copy of their winning design.

We are also incredibly grateful to the Wendover & Villages Community Board for their much appreciated grant, which helped fund this special day.

Here's to another fantastic Family Festival full of joy, community spirit, and memories to cherish!