Family activities around MK: five events in the week ahead

Free garden party

Milton Keynes’ 50th birthday will be celebrated on Saturday, June 24, with a free public garden party in Central Milton Keynes from 3pm.

Residents are being invited to enjoy an afternoon of music, dance, street food and children’s entertainment in Fred Roche Gardens, a beautiful public park behind Christ the Cornerstone Church in CMK. Let’s Party MK50 has been organised by The Fred Roche Foundation to celebrate 50 years of Milton Keynes with music from local performers and the chance for residents to share their memories of the new city with new and long-lost friends. The gardens are named after the late Fred Roche, general manager of Milton Keynes Development Corporation, one of the original planners. Visit www.fredroche.org.

Time for tea party

MacIntyre, the national charity providing learning, support and care for children, young people and adults with learning disabilities, invites you to take part in its national Tea Party on Friday, June 23. The party takes place at its office Central Milton Keynes and all funds raised will go directly to the people supported by MacIntyre, with the option of choosing a specific service or project to fundraise for. Email [email protected]

Summer festival

Wolverton is set to celebrate Milton Keynes’ 50th year at its new Summer Festival on Sunday, June 25, when the Western Road Recreation Ground will be transformed into a three stage performance festival. There will be live acts from 2pm until 8pm and admission into the festival is free. Bands include The Voice Kids superstar Brooke Layla and The Ultimate Beatles. The festivities will begin with a performance from popular band Inta Africa.

Garden open

The gardens of 126 Church Green Road, Bletchley, will open to the public from 2pm until 6pm on Sunday, June 25, for the National Gardens Scheme. The gentle sloping mature garden is set in half an acre with a small formal garden, shady areas and mixed borders, a thatched wendy house, pergola, ponds, fruit and vegetable garden, two greenhouses and a patio. It also opens from 2pm to 5pm on Tuesday, June 27. Admission £3, or free for children.

Bucks Open Studios

Bucks Open Studios is well underway and will see 533 artists and makers taking part across the county. The annual artistic extravaganza runs until Sunday, June 25, and gives members of the public a chance to visit studios, meet the artists and see a huge varity of creativity. Take a peek,for example, at Jenny Hay’s unusual naturalistic ceramic forms, alongside her other work. Search for locations online at www.bucksopenstudios.org.uk