The Perfect
Afternoon
The Children’s Festival Saturday 4th July 26.
Walmer Green provided the perfect backdrop for an unforgettable afternoon of family entertainment at Walmer Town Council's Children's Festival on Saturday 4 July 2026, as glorious sunshine welcomed hundreds of visitors to enjoy a packed programme of free activities and performances.
One of the highlights of the day were the theatical companies. For the second year Caspian's Storm, had the audience inthalled with a fast-paced, interactive theatre show featuring music, magic and a very talkative crab. New for 2026 was The Butterly House, a puppet show where the audience follows the magical transformation of a hungry caterpillar in to a butterfly. Luckily the handlers were in place to ensure that at feeding time no childrens fingers were eaten by the caterpillar!
Above Walmer Beach, the Kent Kite Fliers took full advantage of the ideal flying conditions, filling the sky with an incredible display of colourful kites. There were dragons, octopus’, tigers and even an angry bird creating a spectacular sight for visitors of all ages. The beach at Walmer even had a visit from a flying Shark.
Back on the ground, Deal Pirates kept everyone entertained with family games, pirate antics and plenty of laughter. Brave volunteers found themselves locked in the pirates' stocks – including Walmer Town Council's own Town Clerk, much to the amusement of the crowd.
The festival also featured an exciting programme of entertainment and activities including a trial bike show thank you to Wheel 2 Wheel display team, face painting, circus skills workshops, music-making with the Junk Orchestra, West African drumming workshops from Rich Rhythms and a lively soundtrack provided by the event DJ throughout the afternoon.
Local sports clubs gave demonstrations and organised games. Walmer Town Counicl would like to extend it thanks to The Cinque ports Football Club, Invicta Martial Arts, the Dean Academy of Performing Arts and Downs Sailing club.
Walmer Town Council would also like to thank the many organisations and volunteers whose support helped make the event such a success. These included English Heritage, Deal Radio, Deal Carnival Court ,Dover District Council and its Community Roots Van, and photographer Chris Mansfield, whose photographs captured the day's special moments. Along with the outstanding support from local emergency services, who generously gave their time to engage with families and promote vital safety messages. PC Bramble and Deal Fire station met visitors throughout the afternoon, offering opportunities to dress up in the uniform and climb on the vehciles. Deal First Responders demonstrated life-saving CPR techniques. Volunteers from RNLI Walmer and Deal, together with HM Coastguard, offered pebble painting, games, water safety advice and the opportunity to explore specialist rescue equipment, including a Coastguard vehicle.
Councillor Tony Grist, Chairman of Walmer Town Council's Events Committee, said:
"It was wonderful to see so many children enjoying themselves, whether they were watching one of the fantastic shows, having their faces painted or taking part in the activities and crafts on offer. Walmer Town Council would like to thank everyone who attended and all those who helped make the day such a success. The event is an real opputunity to give back to the community and promote local community groups. We hope everyone had as much fun as we did."
Walmer Town Council would like to thank everyone who attended, volunteered and supported the Children's Festival. The event once again demonstrated the strength of the local community and provided a memorable day of fun for families across the local area.
Photos courtesy of Chris Mansfield's Photos.