Visit Barnoldswick

24/07/2024

Barlick Beach is ready for visitors!

Speedy progress setting up the beach means the summer attraction on Barnoldswick's Town Square will open TOMORROW (Thursday 25th July), four days ahead of schedule.

After the official opening next Monday, there'll be a range of different daily activities for families.

New for 2024 is a Saturday Beach Market on 10th and 17th August.

Barnoldswick FREE Beach has been running during summer holidays for well over a decade and attracts families from a wide area.

Seating around the covered sand allows family groups to socialise in a welcoming environment while children play on the beach. (Adults remain responsible for children at all times.)

The beach is organised by Barnoldswick Town Council. It runs until Friday 23rd August.

24/05/2024

18/05/2024

Marquee set up for next weekend's Bands On The Square by 1.30pm today, and plenty of seating being used this afternoon and evening on the Town Square.

Tomorrow, the stage goes in and, all being well, seating will be back out of the square during the afternoon.

BOTS gets going at 6pm next Friday (24th May) and runs from 12 noon to 11pm next Saturday and Sunday and 12 noon to 7pm on Monday 27th May.

It's a free entry event with an onsite bar.

A reminder that due to licensing conditions, own-drinks are not allowed to be taken into the venue during the event.

17/05/2024

Oooh!

In just seven days, we'll be pressing the big green 'GO' button to begin our four-day FREE festival on Barnoldswick's Town Square.

The BOTS team is getting questions about what drinks will be available at the BOTS BAR, so, here you go!

Last year, Bands On The Square covered its costs with bar and merchandise sales, together with donations. We'd like to do the same again.

BUT, last year's success had a sting in the tail, as takings put us over the VAT threshold... and we now have to charge 20% VAT on all sales. Boo!

The Good News is we've kept the price of beer and cider the same as last year, £3.50 a can, or three for £10.

And more good news is we've added a second pop-up 'Cans Only' bar to the venue, giving us a full 65ft (19.5m) of bar frontage and even better service!!!

Volunteers, staff and contractors will be hitting the ground in earnest over the next seven days to bring you Britain's BEST free live music event.

Please support BOTS and help keep live music alive!

12/05/2024

"Does anybody really know what time it is?"

It's nearly time for Barnoldswick's Bands On The Square 2024!

The event team is putting final touches to the preparations for this year's event.

The FREE four-day live music festival is on Friday to Monday over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend, 24th to 27th May.

Barnoldswick's Town Square is the venue for this popular festival which attracts tens of thousands of visitors.

Next weekend (18th/19th), the large BOTS marquee and staging will be installed.

Oh, and with the unique 'B A R N O L D S W I C K' clock, does anyone in Barlick really know what time it is?!

26/04/2024

Are YOU BOTS ready?!

Bands On The Square merchandise will be on sale this Sunday (28th April) at the pop-up shop, 12 Frank Street from 1 to 3pm.

This coincides with the monthly Artisan Market on the Town Square.

The BOTS team is getting ready for this year's Spring Bank Holiday, FREE, four-day music festival, which is just five weeks away now.

Get yourself ready with a BOTS tee or hoody!

20/04/2024

Here it is! The announcement you've been waiting for! 🎉

24/03/2024

Cracking weather for Barnoldswick's first Artisan Market of 2024!

The makers' market is now held on the fourth Sunday in the month in the Town Square.

20/03/2024

Please don't be late!

There are Easter Eggs for the first 500 children to complete the White Rabbit card hunt at Saturday's Barnoldswick in Wonderland event!

Hunting the cards around the town centre is just one of the activities during the Lewis Carroll themed day on Saturday 23rd March.

Alice herself will be hosting elocution and etiquette lessons at her tea parties throughout the afternoon.

The Queen of Hearts will be conducting hedge-hog croquet, the Cheshire Cat will be telling tall stories and the Mad Hatter giving dancing lessons.

There's also a magnificent Makers' Market and entertainment on the Town Square stage.

Barnoldswick in Wonderland is the final event in the town council's winter programme and is partly funded by the Government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

16/03/2024

Next Saturday!

Programme for Barnoldswick In Wonderland on 23rd March.

Hardcopy flyers available in local shops. These are also being distributed through pupil-post at local primary schools.

Another FREE family event from Barnoldswick Town Council with funding from the Government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

AND, on Sunday 24th March, it's the first Artisan Market of 2024 on Barnoldswick's Town Square. (This market is now held on the FOURTH Sunday of the month in Barlick.)

15/03/2024

This weekend's challenge...

Travelling on the A59 one evening this week, I stopped at a broken down car to ask if I could help.

Ended up taking a couple and their young baby to Skipton train station to shelter from the rain while they waited for rescue.

All I know about the couple is that they were travelling from Clitheroe to Middleton (Leeds).

A couple of days later, I realised that the young mum had left her coat and keys in my car...

The challenge is to see how long it takes to reunite coat and keys with their owner.

13/03/2024

Only a week-and-a-half to go before Barnoldswick's next fantastic, free, family-friendly, fun-filled, theatrical fantasy event!

Barnoldswick IS Wonderland when Alice and the Queen of Hearts return to the town on Saturday 23rd March.

Together with the Cheshire Cat and the Mad Hatter, the Lewis Carroll characters will recreate a fantasy world in the friendly market town.

Children will take elocution lessons with Alice at her tea-party, dance with the Mad Hatter, play croquet with the Queen of Hearts and listen to the Cheshire Cat's stories.

Families can also follow the White Rabbit Trail with a chance for children to be rewarded with a Humpty-Dumpty Easter egg when they complete the challenge.

Wonderland is the third and final event of a trio of winter events staged by Barnoldswick Town Council which is part-funded by the Government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The Wizarding World Ice Trail in January and February's Arts and Crafts Festival attracted thousands of visitors to the town.

Barnoldswick's Wonderland adventure gets underway from 9am with a magnificent Makers' Market. Entertainment from Barnoldswick Brass Band begins during the morning and activities last until late afternoon.

It's an event not to be missed.

Town council organisers say, "Don't be late!"

20/02/2024

This year's Bands On The Square is just a few months away (24th to 27th May).

Check out this promo video from eight years ago for a flavour of what to expect!

17/02/2024

In my hometown of Barnoldswick they host all kinds of events for children (and adults). In Feb 2023 they hosted a 'Barnoldswick Arts & Crafts' week; celebrating all kinds of creation from people withi

11/02/2024

Barnoldswick's Fabulous FREE Family-Friendly February Festival of Arts and Crafts is next Saturday (17th February).

Put your❤️ into Art with this Love Barnoldswick event!

09/02/2024

A good family day out.

A larger-than-life Celtic fairy is set to grace Barnoldswick's Festival of Arts and Craft on 17th February. Shee, a 2.5m tall Sith, will come to life at the free event.

International sculptor Gordon Banks will conjure his latest folklore-based creation live on the Town Square Stage during the Festival. In Celtic lore, a Sith is a fairy or hill. (A Gaelic word, Sith is pronounced Shee.)

Following the festival, Shee will join existing supernatural sculptures at the town's Sculpture Trail and stand astride the Pennine watershed looking out from Letcliffe Hill towards her Celtic homeland in the west.

Gordon will be contributing an entertaining commentary to his on-stage sculpting of Barnoldswick's latest landmark as part of the day-long 'Love Barnoldswick' event next Saturday. His Sith won't be the only fairy involved with the festival though, as the town's Yarn Fairies have an exhibition of their crocheted post-box toppers.

The day also includes family-friendly workshops with Gawthorpe Textiles Collection and local craftspeople, together with a town-centre trail to view twelve shop window paintings based on Barnoldswick's busy calendar of events.

Children following the trail will receive a reward when they complete their tour around the town. Little hands will be able to help with a 'Love Barnoldswick' silk painting, weave willow and get crafty with a host of other hands-on creative activities.

The Festival also has FREE face-painting for children.

The Town Square will have a Makers' Market and visitors will be invited to view Barnoldswick's permanent public art installations in the centre and at the Letcliffe Park Sculpture Trail and Kelbrook Road's Sensory Garden.

Barnoldswick's Festival of Arts and Crafts gets underway at 10am on Saturday 17th February (Market from 9am).

The day is one of a trio of winter events organised by Barnoldswick Town Council and funded by the Government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The final event of the season is 'Barnoldswick In Wonderland' on 23rd March.

Watch out for a future post with a full programme of activities.

25/01/2024

It's looking good for Barnoldswick's Magical Festival of Ice and Fire on Saturday (27th January)!

The forecast is for it to be dry with light winds.

Mild conditions will see the Ice sculptures transform throughout the day. Crisp carvings will soften to smoother surfaces with the grain of the ice gleaming inside them. They will be truly magical!

Volunteers are now on the last lap towards completing over 4,000 items that need to be collected by children taking part in the Wizard Trail around the town centre.

But it'll be up to prospective pupils and their families to build their own broomsticks and put the finishing touches to wizarding uniforms.

Enrolment in the Barlick School of Wizardry is limited to the first 300 children taking part. Families are advised to make an early start on the Trail.

With lots of hands-on activities, the Magical Makers Market, Fire Show and special activities being put on by local businesses, there's something to enchant people of any age at the Festival throughout the day.

Organised by Barnoldswick Town Council, the event is funded by the Government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Ice sculptures have been sponsored by Filtrox and Silentnight, and Hope Technology is supporting the three events being held in Barnoldswick this winter.

Please have a look at the full programme of activities.

We'll be charmed to see you on Saturday!

19/01/2024

You can now pick up a leaflets for next Saturday's (27th January) FREE Festival of Ice and Fire in local shops.

The Magical Barnoldswick event will feature more ice sculptures than ever, thanks to sponsorship from local businesses.

Children will be able to help carve a Wizarding World of Barnoldswick Ice Wall, and there'll be live ice sculpting on the Town Square stage.

The Wizard Trail around the town centre will equip children to enrol at Barlick's School of Wizardry, with lots of hands-on activities included.

Town centre streets will host a Magical Makers' Market, and a Fire and Light Show will round off the day.

The event is organised by Barnoldswick Town Council and is supported with funding from the Government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund.