The top five family friendly festivals this summer

The festival season is already underway, with Glastonbury having taken place last month.
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But there's still a whole host of festival for families in Yorkshire to enjoy.

Here's our top five, all of which feature a range of activities and attractions for all ages - because children love festivals just as much as adults:

Underneath the Stars Festival:

Underneath the StarsUnderneath the Stars
Underneath the Stars
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Running from July 29-31, the festival at Cinderhill Farm in Barnsley will see Imelda May headline on Friday, followed by Kate Rusby on Saturday and Suzanne Vega on Sunday.

For younger guests, there is a whole host of family friendly activities and entertainment all designed with kids in mind and packed full of fun. Children will never be bored as they take part in craft activities, music and dance workshops, theatre, and puzzles, all free with no booking needed.

There will be a range of street theatre performances featuring the most inspiring, wondrous and downright ridiculous talent you can imagine, including The Bo Sisters, Bread and Butter Thingamajigs, From Glass to Class, Annie Mack hula hooping, The Curious Cargo - Lollipop Ladies, and the Strolling Gardeners.

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Yorkshire Dales Food and Drink FestivalYorkshire Dales Food and Drink Festival
Yorkshire Dales Food and Drink Festival

The Odditorium is a fascinating and mysterious multicoloured tent with perplexing puzzles, riotous riddles and classic conundrums while various workshops include circus skills with the Greentop Circus, willow weaving, foraging and handstanding.

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Other artists scheduled to play at the festival include Stone Jets, This is the Kit, The Big Moon, Penguin Cafe, Davina and the Vagabonds, and Billie Marten, and the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band.

There is also audiences with Jason Manford and Adrian Edmondson

Tickets are available from: https://underneaththestarsfest.co.uk/tickets/Deer Shed:

Kate RusbyKate Rusby
Kate Rusby

Running from Friday, July 29 to Sunday 31, this three-day wonderland of music, arts, science and sport for all ages is set in the beautiful North Yorkshire countryside of Topcliffe.

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The music lineup features Nadine Shah, Billy Nomates, Yard Act, John Grant, Self Esteem, Django Django, Dry Cleaning and Bored at My Grandmas House while comedy acts will include Harrogate's Maisie Adam, Shaparak Khorsandi and Rosie Jones.

Children can enjoy a wide range of shows such as world record-breaking beatboxer SK Shlomo, Marcel Lucont: Les Enfants Terribles (A Gameshow For Awful Children), Jonathon’s Drag Dancing Unicorn, Below the Belt, a hilarious rip-roaring game show with humour for all ages, and Mr Thing, a stand-up puppet party, technicolour cable TV chat show and improvised multimedia musical spectacular

Sports include Kapow Pro Wrestling and wrestling workshops, canoeing and kayaking, Quidditch, tree climbing, wrong pong, tag archery, football and the Wilderwild run.

Families can enjoy street theatre, roaming performers and more at these five festivalsFamilies can enjoy street theatre, roaming performers and more at these five festivals
Families can enjoy street theatre, roaming performers and more at these five festivals

A full programme of literary, theatre, spoken word, workshops and events for the under 5s will be announced soon.

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Tickets are available from: https://deershedfestival.com/The Yorkshire Dales Food and Drink Festival:

This festival takes place at Funkirk Farm, Carleton, from July 23-24 with camping available from Friday to Monday.

The event features live celebrity demos by The Hairy Bikers and James Martin plus more live cookery demonstrations on our Yorkshire AA Rosette, Dessert and Yorkshire Chef Cookery Stages. Fabulous workshops and masterclasses include a Champagne Masterclass, Gin School, Indian Cookery School, Yorkshire Dales Bushcraft, and a cocktail masterclass.

Festival-goers can enjoy tasting sessions, hundreds of exhibitors and some of the best street food the UK has to offer.

Some of the five festivals feature circus skills among the workshopsSome of the five festivals feature circus skills among the workshops
Some of the five festivals feature circus skills among the workshops
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It’s a weekend full of family fun with plenty for the children to do, from the Vintage Fun Fair, free pizza making and Kiddy Cook classes, kids sports, petting farm, and a kids disco, plus a min-festival goers area full of fun activities to keep them occupied – this event has it all!

And to top it all off the festival just wouldn’t be complete without live music. With ABBA and Take That tribute acts performing on Saturday and a Little Mix and Freddie Mercury tribute acts on Sunday along with a range of local Yorkshire bands.

For tickets, go to: https://www.yorkshiredalesfoodanddrinkfestival.com/Hardwick Live:

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Sedgefield, Stockton-on-Tees on Saturday, August 20 and Sunday 21

There's a top-notch lineup featuring Stereophonics, the Specials, Jake Bugg, Seasick Steve, Becky Hill and The Proclaimers.

Activities for children include circus training, Punch & Judy, children’s rides and a play area. The Herbie Treehead variety show inside the Peewee Big Top consists of hand-picked circus artists such as aerialists, jugglers and acrobats performing dangerous and mesmerising acts. Felicity Footloose is a 1980s-themed flash-dancing stuntwoman while Club Groovy is a stage show come dance participation event aimed at young people. There's also roaming street theatre and the Rock Showman's Booth, a large selection of food stalls, an Introducing stage, Courtyard arena, Treehouse Arena and Soul Tent.

For tickets, go to: https://hardwickfestival.co.uk/Gateways Festival:

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This relatively new festival runs Saturday, July 23-24 at Aireville Park, Skipton.

Top acts include Jake Bugg, the Charlatans, The Sherlocks, Ash, Cast and Lucy Spraggan. Festival-goers can enjoy three stages of live music, bars, delicious street food, and a prosecco bar all with the stunning backdrop of the Yorkshire Dales.

Children will be able to take advantage of the funfair, arts and crafts stalls, face glitter and body art and activities such as den building, magicians, jugglers and circus workshops.