Wicksteed Park Model Show: A Free Family Day Out in Northamptonshire This April

Looking for something a little different to do with the kids this month?

Wicksteed Park in Kettering is hosting its very first Model Show on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 April, and this is the kind of event that has something for absolutely everyone — whether your little ones are obsessed with trains, or you’ve got a dad in tow who might just be equally as excited about the model boats.

Best of all? Entry to the show itself is completely free.

Model fans can enjoy everything from boats, planes and trains to haulage trucks and traction engines when Wicksteed Park Model Boat Club hosts an event for the whole family later this month.

The free event will run from 10am to 5pm on Saturday 18 April and Sunday 19 April, and will include superb railway layouts and model boats, both on display and sailing on the park’s heritage model boat pond.

There will also be large-scale model aircraft on show (no flying), model jet turbine demonstrations, and haulage trucks in action, as well as steam model traction engines.

Visitors will be able to try their hand at operating radio-controlled boats and trying out the hobby for real.

Crawler Trucks will be performing over a very tricky obstacle course, demonstrating their amazing skills in climbing the most demanding challenges.

There will also be demonstrations by Models for Heroes, the charity which gives valuable support to former and current armed forces and emergency personnel.

The Wicksteed Park Model Boat Club has been based at the park since the early 1920s, when it was originally called Wicksteed Model Yacht & Power Boat Club.

Club chairman Bill Traynor-Kean said: “This event promises to be great fun for the whole family.

“We have some really wonderful models to display, as well as demonstrations of the art of plastic kit building and painting, which we hope will inspire people of all ages to take up the hobby and encourage youngsters to put down their screens and do something creative and enjoyable.

“The model displays will all be undercover, apart from those at the model boat pond and the Crawler Trucks, so even if the weather isn’t great there will be lots to see.”

Admission to this family-friendly event will be free of charge, although car parking charges will apply to support the Wicksteed Charitable Trust’s ongoing maintenance of the park.

For those wishing to make a weekend of it, camping pitches and facilities are available — full details can be found at wicksteedpark.org.

Wicksteed Park’s rides and attractions are open during the event and on weekends, school holidays and bank holidays until the end of September.

After listening to feedback from visitors, the price of on-day wristbands purchased at the park has been reduced from £25 to £22, to match the online purchase price.

Attractions include the Water Chute, which has just celebrated its 100th birthday, Wicky’s Farmyard, the Wicksteed Park Railway, Sway Rider, the Dinosaur Valley rollercoaster, Rocky River Falls and the refurbished crazy golf course, Pig n’ Putt.

Wicksteed Park combines a 281-acre estate including 147 acres of beautiful parkland with more than 25 rides and attractions for all the family.

It was opened in 1921 by Charles Wicksteed, who had a vision to inspire and encourage play as a way to improve families’ health and wellbeing.

The Wicksteed Charitable Trust was formed to ensure his work continued after his death, and the park has become known as the home of children’s play.

The park has been praised for providing a highly enjoyable and memorable family day out in an assessment by national tourist board VisitEngland, which awarded it a score of 84% and described it as a well-established and much-loved visitor attraction offering an excellent balance of traditional family entertainment, expansive green space, and historical significance.

For more information on Wicksteed Park Model Boat Club, visit wicksteedparkmbc.com.

It’s back to school today, which means the weekends are about to feel even more precious! A free day out like this is a great one to have in the diary — and if you want to stay on top of what’s happening across Northamptonshire, make sure you’re signed up to my weekly newsletter so you never miss a thing.

The events listed in this guide are run by third-party organisers, and all details were correct at the time of publication, based on information from their official websites. However, changes or cancellations can happen at short notice. To avoid any disappointment, we recommend double-checking the event information on the official websites before making plans.