Packed week of Stone Festival fun

This year’s Stone Festival takes place between 10th and 17th June and it looks like being one of the best yet, with all the old favourites and some exciting new additions!

The traditional festival raft race kicks things off on Sunday 10th and there’s lots going on over the week including a dog show, steeplechase and dog derby, fishing competition, car treasure hunt, clay pigeon shooting and much more. Carnival Day is on Saturday 16th with the traditional parade, helicopter rides over Stone, funfair and IMPS youth motorcycle display team.

New for this year is Party In The Park at Westbridge Park on Friday 15th, from 6.30pm to 11pm. Stone’s finest musical talent will be performing, with Queen tribute QEII headlining. Plus there’ll be a Lymestone Brewery beer tent! More information here.

Here’s an outline of Stone Festival week. For lots more detail, have a look at the festival programme which was distributed with May’s edition of the Stone & Eccleshall Gazette, or log on to the Stone Festival website.

Sunday 10th June

Raft race, on the River Trent from Darlaston to Walton Bridge. Registration is at 9am onwards at the Darlaston Inn and the race starts at 10am. Get an entry form here. Earliest arrivals will be at Westbridge Park by 10.45am, with the stragglers expected up until 1pm!

Car boot sale, 9am, Westbridge Park

Dog show, 11am, Westbridge Park. Entries taken from 10am. Also includes PADS display team obedience display. Call Sue on 01785 814634 or Lynn on 01785 818281 for more information.

Bowls sub-finals, Stonefield Park, 2pm to 5pm

Festival quiz, Granvilles, 7 for 7.30pm. Teams of up to six for a general knowledge quiz. Entry fee is £2 per person.

Monday 11th June

Steeplechase and Dog Derby, Westbridge Park. Registration from 6.30pm – ‘Human’ steeplechase at 7pm, Dog Derby at 7.30pm. Entry fee for each race is £2.50 for adults, £1 for children

Tuesday 12th June

U3A Open Day, Walton Community Centre, 2pm to 4pm

Fishing competition, Trent and Mersey Canal, Westbridge Park. Draw for pegs at 6pm, competition between 6.30pm and 9pm. Entry is £2 for adults and £1 for children. Call Alan Goldsmith on 01785 615585

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Stone Male Voice Choir, St Dominic’s Church, 7pm. Tickets £5 from Panda Press or by calling Barry Tunnicliffe on 01785 616786

Pugin in Stone, Stone Historical Society, Priory Hall, St Dominic’s Priory School, 7pm. Admission £3. The Chapel of St Anne in the grounds of St Dominic’s Priory School was designed by Augustus Pugin, prominent 19th century architect who designed the Houses of Parliament.

Wednesday 13th June

Crown Green bowls taster, Little Stoke Cricket Club, 5pm until dark. Admission £1

Thursday 14th June

Car Treasure Hunt, starts at Little Stoke Cricket Club between 6pm and 7pm. Registration is £2.50 per person, which includes a buffet at the club after the treasure hunt

Friday 15th June

Party In The Park, Westbridge Park, 6.30pm to 11pm. Lots of Stone musical talent with Queen tribute QEII headlining.

Click here to buy tickets, just £6 for adults in advance, with a great family ticket deal.

Saturday 16th June

Carnival Day, Westbridge Park and town centre, all day

Clay pigeon shoot, Yarlet Gun Club, 4pm, £1.50 for 10 shots

Sunday 17th June

Bowls final, Little Stoke Cricket Club, 2pm

Junior cricket competition, Little Stoke Cricket Club, from 10am. Inaugural competition for teams of eight between six and 11 years’ old. Email info@stonefestival.co.uk for more information and to register a team

Stone In Bloom walk, meet at Stone Canoe Club, Westbridge Park, guided walks of the judging route for this year’s Heart of England in Britain in Bloom competitions, from 2pm. Walk takes about 45 minutes. Final tour starts at 3.20pm. Afternoon tea available at the canoe club after your walk. Free walk tickets are available from Home & Colour on the High Street or Stone in Bloom secretary Jill Hood on 07736 413097.

Festival church service and Songs of Praise event, St Michael’s Church, 6.30pm. People are encouraged to submit their favourite hymn and to say a few words about it before it is sung. Call Rev Ian Cardinal on 01785 812747 no later than Monday 11th June