IT’S party time at The Bowes Museum with a family summer fete organised to conclude events to mark the venues 125th anniversary.
The fete takes place on Sunday, June 10, from 11am to 4pm.
Organisers say the museum and grounds will be brought to life with celebratory food and music, and plenty of opportunities to learn new things about the museum and its collections.
In the grounds, local bands and community groups will entertain visitors on the museum terrace.
There will be performances from lively folk band The Old Age Travellers, acoustic pop singer-songwriter Chris Pryke, who entertained revellers at last week’s Barney Meet, Americana group Kitchy Retro, who impressed at last year’s Barney Jam, the Halcyon Singers Community Choir and indie acoustic vocalist Dave Brittle.
Choreographer Debbie D will set feet tapping on the terrace with drop in dance sessions, based on Fishdance, the community dance project based on the Silver Swan which was performed as part of the Barnard Castle Meet parade.
Lasting about 20 minutes, classes take place at hourly intervals from 11.30am to 2.30pm.
Adding to the atmosphere, there will be hot food on the terrace from local suppliers, who will be serving up sausages, pizza, coffee, Prosecco and ice cream, while Café Bowes will have local beers on sale.
There will be the chance to learn how to create wild paints by the campfire with Forest Schools, enjoy storytelling, make some big bubbles, paint some rocks and do some outdoor sketching.
Inside the museum there is much to explore.
The museum team, from curators and conservators to the exhibitions team and the director, who will be on hand to talk about their favourite objects and chat visitors.
There will be tours at 25 minutes past every hour, highlighting some of the 125 pieces selected from the collection to celebrate the museum’s 125th anniversary year. Choose from paintings, ceramics, fashion and textiles, and decorative art – or come along to them all.
The museum will come to life with demonstrations from the textile conservation team, and library and archives experts, and there will be egyptology and archaeology handling sessions.
Everyone can have fun being creative drawing on easels in the picture galleries, and creating a Fishdance metal sculpture with Matthew Read, director of the new Bowes Centre for Arts, Craft and Design.
Admission to the museum, grounds and fete events is £5 per adult, £2.50 per child, and free to annual pass holders.
For further information about the event visit www.thebowesmuseum.org. uk or call 01833 690606.
