Summer Shazam at Willow Place, Corby: Free Family Fun Day

If you’re trying to fill a gap in the summer holiday diary without spending a penny, this one’s worth pinning to the fridge.

Summer Shazam is coming to Willow Place in Corby town centre on Saturday 15th August, 10am until 4pm, with a full day of free creative activities, storytelling, live music and performances for all ages.

The event is put on by Made With Many, and it’s completely free to attend. It’s being held in the former River Island unit at Willow Place, so easy to find if you’re already in for the shopping.

What’s happening on the day

There’s a proper mix of things going on, so little ones can dip in and out as their attention allows:

• Wonder of the Woodlands — an interactive storytelling performance with artist Aaron Spendelow, featuring a curious butterfly puppet. Kids get to make their own butterfly puppet, add it to a collective “woodland of ideas,” and take it home afterwards.
• Future Festival Masks — a make-and-take craft session with artist Caitlin Skye.
• Gallery for Change — postcard making with artist Alison Carpenter-Hughes, where kids can share their ideas for the future.
• Puddle Ducks — friendly roaming character performers wandering the site.
• Slinky Big Mob — life-size slinky performers from Bedlam Oz, springing around to surprise shoppers.
• Dinotopia — meet Captain Jon Voyage and Odysseia the Parasaurolophus, a huge and brilliantly detailed dinosaur puppet.
• Just Karen — bubble fun for all ages.
• King Brasstards — a lively brass band providing the live music.

The Corby Pride in Place Artist-in-Residence, Phiona Richards, will also be there gathering ideas from residents about what they’d like to see happen in the Kingswood, Hazel Leys and Exeter areas — so if you’ve got thoughts on that, it’s a good chance to have your say.

Project M performances and workshops

The Core’s youth music space, Project M, is also running a timetable of activity on Corporation Street and opposite Chisholm House:

• 12pm–2pm: Performances from Project M on Corporation Street
• 2:45pm–3:15pm: Lyric writing, vocals and karaoke taster workshop
• 3:15pm–3:45pm: Instrumental taster workshop (keyboard, bass and acoustic guitar)

Getting there and access

Willow Place is in Corby town centre (NN17 1BH). Parking is available at Willow Place, Oasis Retail Park, Parkland Gateway and Victoria Place, with accessible parking for Blue Badge holders at all car parks. Buses stop at various points around the town centre. There’s level access into the Willow Place unit, accessible toilets and baby changing on site, plus a Changing Places toilet nearby in the Corby Cube. Mobility scooters can also be hired in the town centre.

If you fancy making a day of it, The Chequered Flag in Corby is currently running a kids-eat-for-£1 deal this summer — worth knowing about if you’re staying in town for lunch.

Corby’s not the only place with brilliant free things going on this summer — if you fancy exploring further afield too, have a look at my full guide to things to do in Northamptonshire for more ideas across the county.

I’ll be keeping an eye on how this one goes down — events like this are exactly the kind of thing I round up in my weekly newsletter, so if free summer activities are your thing, sign up here and you won’t miss the next one.