Giant beasts prowl at free festival in the park

More than 4,500 people enjoyed the free Festival of Giants held in Campbell Park.
Festival of GiantsFestival of Giants
Festival of Giants

Despite strong winds the visitors, including the Mayor and Mayoress of Milton Keynes, admired displays of giant puppetry, dancing and music and took part in workshops.

Maps helped guide people to four main puppetry zones, of ‘The Garden,’ ‘The Aviary’, ‘The Land of Myths’ and ‘The Creatures’.

The impressive feats of giant engineering included Harminder, the cycle-powered elephant who was offering rides. Shanti, the beautiful Garuda bird of peace is the latest addition to Festive Road’s growing menagerie, and was particularly popular with visitors.

Fourteen local schools and community groups took part, many getting involved in the puppetry fun. Children from Stantonbury Brownies, plus pupils from Stantonbury Campus and Long Meadow School, helped to create the displays. Pupils from Giles Brook Primary School took great pride in recreating their school emblem, the damsel fly, on a ‘giant’ scale, at a workshop led by Festive Road artists before the event, and it was paraded around on the day.

Festive Road is an artist led outdoor and carnival arts company. Visit www.festiveroad.org