New Mills Festival 2024 is on its way!
New Mills Festival is just around the corner and this year’s jam-packed programme promises to entertain, educate and showcase the arts once again.
With events for all of the family, New Mills Festival runs 13-29th September and includes the New Mills Art Trail, a Drawing competition (with cash prize), Proms in the Park, an Antiques & Vintage Fair plus walks, talks and so much more!
Art Trail 2024
The Art Trail turns the town into a gallery, adding something a little bit special to the everyday shopping experience and attracting visitors from further afield to enjoy the artwork on show. This year more than fifty local businesses will host over a hundred artists’ work in their windows and premises. Visitors will be treated to visual art including painting, drawing and photography, alongside jewellery, carving, ceramics, installation, film and performance. From the traditional to the conceptual and abstract, there will be something of interest for a wide variety of tastes.
Joanna Allen, Art Trail coordinator, welcomes this exciting event back to The New Mills Festival. ‘The curated Trail will take you on a journey through New Mills showcasing a wide range of high-quality art. Each year is different, and we are excited to see what this year will bring.’
Mark Cocker
Other things to look out for include two Guided Nature Walks by author, naturalist and Guardian columnist Mark Cocker. Mark will highlight hidden parts of Mousley Bottom Nature Reserve and show you a mix of plants, insects and birds on this guided walk ‘From Landfill to Nature Reserve’.
Puppet Theatre
There are lots of events for children too including storytelling, a Puppet Theatre show, like nothing you’ve seen before, and Puppet Making workshops. Plus on Saturday 28th September Rock Mill Lane will be turned into a beach (without the sand) in ‘Beside the Seaside’ – expect, ice cream, sticks of rock, sea creatures and a knobbliest knee competition!
And more..
There is music aplenty too. New Mills Festival’s much-loved Folk Night returns for a seventh outing.
The event has been hugely popular since debuting in 2014, showcasing musical talent – both local and from further afield – and bringing sell-out crowds to the town’s iconic Torr Vale Mill. This year’s line-up is headlined by Wreckless Eric plus Laura J Martin, Run Remedy and Chris Brain.
‘Sonnets in the Orchard’ is an opportunity for writers and talkers to share words that reflect a love of nature and community at New Mills Community Orchard.
Back by popular demand is Professor Wormcast with two late night worm hunts (think whale-watching but with worms and no boats).
For tickets and the full program head over to our Events Calendar (in the dropdown Events menu).
The New Mills Festival started in the mid 1990’s by the head teacher at the local secondary school who wanted to bring together the many groups and organisations in the town as a celebration of community, culture and arts. Today the Festival is powered by community spirit, supported by volunteers, businesses, artists, performers and creative thinkers.
New Mills, High Peak, the little town nestling at the foot of the Kinder Scout, just 20 miles from Manchester City centre, has recently been voted the fourth best place to in the country to live. Come along and see what all the fuss is about!