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 us on Saturday 20th September for a fun packed family day welcoming Autumn to the garden!
12-4pm
We’re celebrating the changing seasons with a day of family fun, this year we’re working in partnership with Froglife, who will be showcasing their Coalface to Wildspace project.
What’s On
Exhibitions, stalls & creative activities with Juneau Projects
Arts & crafts inspired by autumn, hibernation, frogs & mushrooms
The Mushroom Show by Scratchworks Theatre at 1pm – a magical performance for all ages
Interactive workshop with the theatre company at 2pm (spaces limited to 30 participants – you can book your spot in the interval)
Come along, get creative, and celebrate autumn with us!
with thanks to National Lottery Community Fund, Heritage Fund and Black Country Touring for making this event possible
– 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.
Make a Christmas wreath using natural vine wreath base which can be reused, collected sprigs of pine, fir holly and other greenery and traditional aromatic Christmas dried orange and cinnamon. Add a few reusable artificial berries and ribbons.
Led by Deb Slade, Community Arts Worker. Deb rally enjoys gathering the greenery, drying orange slices etc at the start of the Christmas month.
You are welcome to bring some of your own greenery – Deb will bring plenty of holly for everyone, so look out for the more unusual, blue greens and lime greens for contrast. If any one has any eucalyptus, bring loads!
The workshop is free, but spaces are very limited and booking is essential! To book, e-mail caldmoregarden@gmail.com or message / whatsapp Anna on 07871813252.
The workshop is funded by The National Lottery Community Fund.
Caldmore Community Garden was started in 2011 by a local charity Caldmore Village Festival on a piece of derelict land in the middle of Caldmore, Walsall. With the continued support of landowners – Walsall Council and whg – and the hard work of volunteers, it was transformed into a vibrant community space that has become indispensable for local people.
We would not have been able to achieve all this without our funders over the years: Walsall Council, whg, Green Square Accord, Sanctuary Housing, Near Neighbours, The National Lottery Awards for All fund, the Arts Council England, Creative Black Country, People’s Postcode Trust, People’s Health Trust, Heart of England Community Foundation, Asda Foundation, Tesco Bags of Help, West Midlands Police & Crime Commissioner, Comic Relief, CAF Bank, Children in Need, Millenium Point Charitable Trust, Black Country Touring, and West Midlands Combined Authority.
We are especially grateful to the Tudor Trust and The National Lottery Community Fund, “Reaching Communities”, for helping us grow and reach our potential, to open every day to the local community, and explore new exciting directions to support local people. It is thanks to their funding that we were able to make this video and document our project and all its achievements.
Thanks to Junction 15 Productions for the outstanding and inspiring work they did with this video and to Paul Turner at PT Aerial Photography for his professionalism and providing us with the amazing aerial footage of the Garden. And above all, we would like to thank the community of Caldmore for being a constant source of inspiration and all our wonderful volunteers involved in Caldmore Village Festival and Caldmore Community Garden. Look how much we have achieved together and how much potential we have for the future!
Film made with funding from the National Lottery Community Fund and the Tudor Trust and produced by Junction15 Productions. Visit them at www.junction15.com.
B’Opera Baby Opera features in the video at one of our events this year – they are absolutely amazing, visit them at www.bopera.co.uk.
Join us for a spectacular day of art, nature, creativity and performances brought to us by Black Country Touring!
2pm The Zoo that Comes to You by Scarlet Oak Theatre – A family show featuring puppetry and live music! Come and meet these eclectic animals as they discuss their life experiences and the challenges they face in a rapidly changing world. A joyous journey featuring puppetry, live music and playful characters, Scarlet Oak Theatre welcomes people of all ages to join the conversation about animal conservation.
12-4pm Where We Growby Black Country Touring – four short performances grown from community gardens across the Black Country have been spread around our garden. Wander around and enjoy each one!
And as always – arts and crafts, drinks, home-made cakes and refreshments at our community cafe!
Scarlet Oak Theatre
Jasmine Orchard and Lucia d’Inverno met when training at Circomedia: centre for contemporary circus and physical theatre. Both artists bring to the company their experience from working in a variety of educational settings; youth theatres, baby sensory classes, schools and home education groups. With their professional experience of acting, puppeteering, directing and producing they have come together to form Scarlet Oak Theatre, a company committed to making theatre that is equally accessible and engaging for children and their grownups.
Brought to us with support from Black Country Touring, The National Lottery Community Fund, West Midlands Combined Authority, Arts Council England, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and People’s Postcode Trust.
This Thursday we are celebrating the 75th anniversary of Windrush – join us for a community event organised at the Garden by Walsall Black Sisters Collective!
The event starts at 11am and finishes at 3pm.
There will be live performances, music, bouncy castle, cultural workshops, stalls, food and many more, everyone is welcome.
The event is organised with the help of Walsall Council and The National Lottery Community Fund.
What’s On 
Come along, get creative, and celebrate autumn with us!
Easter arts and crafts
Caldmore Community Garden 