Author Archives: Edinburghfestivalsforkids

Still lots to look forward to……..including Art Walk Porty 2-4th September

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So, with the festival coming to a dramatic close this evening with the festival fireworks it will be much quieter over the next few months, and life in Edinburgh will be returning to normal.

That said, don’t get too sad, as there are still loads of great events and festivals over the next year to look forward to until August 2017 rolls round  and gives us the usual plethora of festival delights !

This coming weekend, the 2nd-4th September is starting us off with a bang and there are a host of fun things to be doing with the family…I’ll be posting about Epic Chalk Day 4 and the Family Aerial taster session later, but for now I wanted to tell you all about Art Walk Porty which is taking place this weekend, the 2nd-4th September in Portobello.

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In it’s second year now, the event builds on Portobello’s diverse creative community and its unique coastline with site specific art, artist open studios, popup art in local shops and venues,and a maker’s market, arranged around a local walk of Portobello. Showcasing quality contemporary art, supporting emergent artists as well as having an invited artists programme, and working with local shops and venues, and other public sites. The event engages the local community and wider audiences to a rich and diverse programme.

It all looks great – something totally different and unique after the festival hecticness in Edinburgh central the last few weeks ! Especially a metal octopus, only fully visible at low tide and a makers market in the fantastic Dalriada pub…

Final weekending…

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So,…it’s been a jam packed few weeks and here we are, ready for the final weekend of the Fringe, and we’ve got the Portobello Big Beach Busk on Saturday 27th, the Book festival is still going strong and the Edinburgh Art Festival is finishing on Sunday too….so many choices ! If you’re still thinking of cramming in a few more shows, now’s the time to do it !

My final ten recommendations of shows still on this weekend would be :

  • The Many Doors of Frank Feelbad– Absolutely fantastic show, dealing with loss and the big feelings that surround this. Gentle, beautiful and brave…last show 28th August.
  • Children Are Stinky – Very fun and silly acrobatic and clown show from a lovable Australian Duo – featuring hula hoops, chairs and a fantastic soundtrack, lots of fun for the whole family !  Last show 29th..
  • 360 Allstars – Featuring some spectacular BMX tricks, brilliant basketball, impressive breakdancing and live beat-boxing – this show has something for everyone ! A jam packed hour of talented performers showing off their skills ! Last show on 29th…
  • Shark In The Park – Really enjoyable adaptation of the very popular books….featuring lots of singing, puppets and surprises. Last show on the 29th …
  • Sticks, Stones, Broken Bones – Using some inventive household objects, and even audience members shoes – this is a great little shadow puppet show. Featuring a few short stories in shadow puppetry…. Last show on 29th August.
  • The Bookbinder – an enchanting production, featuring imaginative storytelling and beautiful papercraft….about a Bookbinder’s apprentice who travels into a wonderful world to rectify a mistake. Last show on the 28th.
  • Beards ! Beards ! Beards ! – Ace show about a girl called Beatrix who wants to have a beard like all the wise and important men in history. Quirky and innovative with lots of great songs..one to catch for sure ! Last show on 28th.
  • Glasgow Girls – One for older children but absolute highlight of my fringe, fantastic musical about a very important and temporary topic of immigration and asylum seekers. Last show on 28th
  • Celeste’s Circus – One for younger children -this is a really sweet little show for under fives. Celeste takes us to the circus, using a lovely handmade set and featuring a cat, seal, dogs, hippo and elephant ! Last show the 28th August.

If you’re out and about – enjoy it !! And let’s hope the weather is also kind….

Festival Fireworks 2016 Monday 29th

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Image Credit: Studio 2 Photography (www.studio2weddings.com)

It’s a very sad, and very beautiful end to the fantastic and jam packed month of August festival goodness when we see the festival fireworks flying high over the Castle. This year the event is on Monday 29th August at 9.30pm.

Set against the iconic backdrop of Edinburgh’s historic Castle, this spectacular event brings together stirring orchestral music from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and magnificent pyrotechnics, specially choreographed by international fireworks artists Pyrovision to enhance your musical experience !

Tickets for the Ross Theatre are now sold out, but you can still buy tickets for the Princes Street Gardens. Book your tickets for the gardens here

Wherever you are in Edinburgh, join in and hear the music live by tuning into Forth 1 97.3 from 9.00pm.

Big Beach Busk 2016 27th August

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Hopefully the sunshine will remain for this great event, now in it’s seventh year, and something which offers a little respite after all the hecticness of the Edinburgh festivals ! The Portobello Big Beach Busk is taking pace this Saturday, the 27th August from noon…taking place all along the prom, this promises to be an exciting day filled with musicians, street performers, artists….any type or kind of performer is welcome.

“No rules. Just Busking. You can be any kind of street entertainer you like from a one man band to an orchestra, a mime/robot, a choir, balloon modeller or magician. We’ve had brass bands and tenko drummers alongside salsa bands and some amazing singer songwriters.”

The sandcastle competition that ran at the same time in 2015 makes its return this year. You can start building from 12.30pm and judging is at 3pm.

Third Week Highlights…..

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Another busy week has passed, and I’ve seen some great and unusual shows too ! A little bit of everything ! We’re in the final week of the Fringe now, with most shows finishing on the 29th August…so if you’ve been thinking of checking something out -now is the time to get organised and do it !!

Highlights this week have included the following  (there were others but they have finished their runs already sadly-like Snail and the Whale and Poggle) :

  • The Glasgow Girls – This has to be one of my total highlights of the Fringe so far this year. It’s brilliant – powerful, moving, musical and fun ! It’s recommended for ages 12+, and I think is a really important piece of theatre for this age group. Please, please try and catch it – last performance 28th August.
  • Sticks, Stones, Broken Bones – Using some inventive household objects, and even audience members shoes – this is a great little shadow puppet show by the brilliant Bunk puppets. Featuring a few short stories in shadow puppetry, it’s unique to also be able to see ‘behind the scenes’ too ! On until the 29th August.
  • The Amazing Bubble Man – I felt like I’d been missing out on something, having never seen the bubble man, even after he’s been here for at least the last nine years! I finally went to see him and really enjoyed the show – he certainly knows how to work his bubbles, putting smoke inside them, making big ones, square ones, spinning alien ship ones, light up ones, helium filled ones….it’s a hit with all the bubble fans out there and he includes a little bit of bubble science too for the older ‘kids’ inside the venue ! On until the 29th August.
  • Celeste’s Circus – This is a really sweet little show for the under fives. Celeste takes us to the circus, using a lovely handmade set and featuring a cat, seal, dogs, hippo and elephant ! Lots of cute touches for the little ones and the perfect length too to keep everyone entertained ! On the 26th-28th August.
  • Hup – A quirky, gentle piece for under twos – four musicians delight the crowd with their music and a playful racoon. Really really lovely…..On until the 28th (not 24th).

For something a little different, I would recommend :

  • Guru Dudu’s Silent Disco Walking Tours – I LOVED every minute of this and can see it working really well with families – there were some kids on my tour too….everyone gets headsets and listens and sings along to some very familiar disco tracks whilst ‘dancing’ around the city being led by Guru Dudu, who advises on some dance moves, some choreography and gives some great chat !! VERY fun indeed…..on until the 29th, a few tours a day !
  • Teatro Delusio – Three actors are able to be 29 characters with no words – it’s amazing really, through the use of masks they are able to transform completely and have the audience transfixed in a story of the backstage of a theatre. One for older children perhaps, but my seven year old daughter enjoyed it and loved the masks…On until the 29th August