The Festival of Lights is returning to Caldmore Community Garden on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th November 2025 — and we want you to be part of the magic!
There are plenty of ways for local families, groups, and individuals to get involved in this year’s Lantern Procession on Sunday 9th November. From making your own lantern to joining our movement workshops, everyone is welcome to help light up Caldmore!
Lantern-Making Workshops
Wednesday 29th October – Family Lantern Making Workshop 11am–2pm Caldmore Community Garden, WS1 3RH Delivered by Bostin’ Arts, this fun and creative workshop is perfect for families and children to make their very own lanterns to carry in the Festival of Lights procession.
Saturday 1st November -Garden Saturday: Join the Procession Movement & Puppetry Workshop!
Would you like to be part of the Lantern Procession on Sunday 9th November? Now’s your chance!
This Saturday 1st November, join Autin Dance Theatre at Caldmore Community Garden for a special Garden Saturday workshop. Families are invited to learn how to move together as a group, carrying beautifully lit-up props that will form part of this year’s magical Festival of Lights procession.
You’ll also get to explore the basics of puppetry — discovering how to bring props and creatures to life through movement, rhythm, and teamwork.
This friendly, creative workshop is open to everyone, of all ages – no experience needed!
Monday 3rd November – Women’s Lantern Workshop at Aaina Community Hub 11am–2pm Aaina Community Hub, 1 Bath Road, Walsall WS1 3BZ A relaxed and welcoming women-only session with Bostin’ Arts — create your lantern and connect with others in a creative, friendly space.
Thursday 6th November – Tots Lantern Session 10.30am–12pm Caldmore Community Garden Our regular Tots at the Garden session will be all about little lights! Bring your little one to make a lantern for the procession. This session will be delivered by Bostin’ Arts
Saturday 8th November –Lantern Making with New Art Gallery Walsall 4pm – 5.30pm Caldmore Community Garden Your last chance to make a lantern before the big night! Drop in and get creative with New Art Gallery Walsall — all materials provided. Together, we’ll light up Caldmore with creativity, colour, and community spirit. We can’t wait to see you there!
With thanks to National Lottery Community Fund and Arts Council England for making these opportunities possible!
Join Fiona and Albert to investigate the properties of ice. Learn how to pick up a block of ice with a piece of string and cut a block of ice with out using a knife! Make an ice rainbow and create glowing spinach.
Wed 13th August
Friction Science
Join Fiona and Albert to discover the importance of friction in everyday life. Investigate ways of reducing friction. Make a friction ramp using an empty shoebox (if possible please bring your own shoebox).
Thurs 14th August
Open Tots – older siblings welcome
Fri 15th August
Bubble day
Sat 16th August
Garden Saturday: Making summer resin necklaces
Wed 20th August
Magnetic Science
Join Fiona and Albert to investigate magnetism. Discover what materials are magnetic. Use magnetism to make a compass. Make a magnetic fluid and use a magnet to build a tower of metal nuts.
We are very excited to announce that we have received £24,199fromthe Youth Music Trailblazer Fund for a new programme of music education for children at the Garden!
The project will be delivered at the Garden in partnership with the amazing B’Opera – opera for babies and young children.
The project includes:
the continuation of our weekly First Songs sessions every Friday 10am – 12pm;
four Relaxed Concerts at the Garden;
new after-school choir for children and their families.
Come and join us, watch your child explore the sensory world of sounds and music, and enjoy the beautiful space of Caldmore Community Garden!
Caldmore Community Garden will be running Easter HAF programme from 15th April to Friday 18th April, starting from 11AM and finishing at 3PM. The second week will be available at AAINA Hub next door.
We will be doing our own special mix of arts and crafts, science, gardening, nature exploration, forest school and outdoor play.
The programme is only available for children eligible for free school meals, so you need a code to register. To register, please visit the page below, log in, and choose Caldmore Community Garden’s Easter Play Scheme.
Please register as soon as possible as places are on a first come first serve basis. If you are having difficulties, please contact us and we will do our best to help.
The Sleeping Seeds – A playful music theatre show for families. Two musical gardeners go on an adventure to raise a seedling and raise a racket. Rake & Roll!!
The Sleeping Seeds are a pair of musical gardeners who have a very special seed asleep in their seed bed. Join them as they nurture and encourage this little seed to mature and take its place in the world. Expect catchy songs, unusual instruments and fun joining in!
This is a relaxed performance for all ages and includes integrated British Sign Language.
The performance will be outdoors and will go ahead whatever the weather, so please come prepared (raincoats & wellies or sun hat & suncream!).
We will have some rain cover if needed. In the event of extreme weather please check social media for notifications about the performance.
Sunday 25th August 2024
The garden will open from 1pm and the performance will start at 2pm
Tickets are FREE or ‘pay what you can’ via Black Country Touring
Join us at Caldmore Community Garden on Saturday 20th July for our Summer Garden Party!
We will be joined by HandMade Theatre who will be performing their puppet show Tell Me A Story in the garden at 1pm and 3pm. Look out for them walking about the garden during the day!
‘Everyone has a story to tell and a memory to share. Unlock yours in this family adventure down memory lane, experience the stories of people, places and objects we hold dear.’ Tell Me A Story is a show lovingly created by HandMade Theatre. The piece explores childhood memories and draws inspiration from our creative work in care homes for those with dementia. This piece aims to bring generations together to share their stories, exploring experiences of childhood and unlocking the similarities and differences we all share. A fun family show featuring HandMade Theatre’s signature mix of dynamic storytelling, live music, original songs, beautiful puppets and colourful characters.
Suitable for children aged 2-10 and their families. We particularly encourage parents and Grandparents to join their children in a shared experience together.
Poets, Prattlers, and Pandemonialists will be adding a poetry vibe to the day. Pop by to see Gracey Bee at her Poet Tree, and she’ll help you to create rhyming poetry to hang amongst its branches.
Or why not ask for a poem of your own to take away? Emma Purshouse and Steve Pottinger will be writing Poetry on Demand. You could request a poem for yourself or a loved one. Or perhaps ask for a poem written about your favourite aspect of nature.
Gracey, Emma, and Steve will also be happy to talk to you about what to expect from the poetry workshops that Poets, Prattlers, and Pandemonialists will be running over the next few months at Caldmore Community Garden.
To celebrate the beginning of the summer holidays there will be a bouncy castle, face painter, arts and crafts, family games to play and a Nature Treasure Hunt to solve with prizes to win.
The Community Cafe will be open so pop in and grab yourself a slice of tasty cake!
We look forward to seeing you on Saturday for lots of fun in the garden!
Thank you to Black Country Touring for their support
Thank you to the Inclusive Communities Fund award, with this fund we will be able to empower our community, address real issues and create a lasting legacy.
Thanks to the Heart of England Community Foundation, West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), United by Legacy, UKGOV and the Commonwealth Games organisers for this incredible opportunity
– 12.30pm and 3pm – Easter Egg Hunt for children aged 1-4 – have a go at finding chocolate eggs at the Garden! Little ones must be accompanied by a grown-up, no older siblings allowed in the tots area. Please don’t be late!
– 1-3pm – Easter Egg Trail for older children – complete an Easter Egg trail, solve the clues and claim your chocolate egg! No need to come at a specific hour, your child can do it at any time during the event.
There will be lots of other activities, including:
Easter arts and crafts Children’s entertainment with Happy Child Tombola Face-painting Cake and drinks at our Community Cafe
It’s a Pay as You Feel event – we are a charity and need your support putting events like this for the benefit of the local community. Put some spare cash into a box or pay by card to help us bring you more activities in the future.
On Saturday 4th November at 4pm we will be making lanterns and musical instruments to carry in our lantern procession, and at 6pm Ash Mandrake will enchant us with a live performance full of music and stories. We will finish the day with a campfire, so bring your own marshmallows and things to toast over the fire.
On Sunday 5th November we will gather at 5:45pm for our lantern procession to light up the streets of Caldmore – the procession leaves the Garden at 6pm and on coming back there will be a performance by LED drummers and Autin Dance Theatre with their amazing Out of the Deep Blue! All that in a beautifully lit up Garden open for everybody to explore.
The event is free thanks to funding from the National Lottery Community Fund, Children in Need, whg and Black Country Touring.
Easter arts and crafts
Caldmore Community Garden 