Valley Fest 2019 Review

*I received a family day ticket in exchange for an honest review 

Wow we had such a busy summer and if you follow me on Instagram or my other social media you will know we went to a lot of festivals, near and far. Festivals are a great way to introduce children to community, music, camping and often crafts and forest games and it's a welcomed break away from the normal routine.

This year we were invited to check out Valley Fest in Chew Valley near Bristol. With it being just over an hour from our house we decided to make a day trip of it rather than weekend camping which we usually reserve for festivals a bit further away. There are also real pluses to visiting for the day so if your town or city is putting on a festival you should consider a day ticket over a weekend pass as they are usually cheaper and less hassle if you're not keen on camping but want to experience that festival buzz.

Valley Fest takes place on a beautiful organic farm overlooking Chew Valley Lake, the main ethos of the festival is great music and great food and to have as much fun as possible. The farmer and owner of the farm, Luke Hasell is also the founder of the festival and actively wants people to have the best time they can on his land and the family-friendly atmosphere certainly captured that. The festival also aims to give back and last year helped to raise £14,479 for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Our drive to Valley Fest was pretty easy and when you arrive there is plenty of parking, although I do want to point out that parking is £10 whether you stay the day or the whole weekend, you can purchase this beforehand. Once inside the festival you first come in the The Village Green which offers up an eclectic mix of shops, independent retailers and fun things for kids to get involved with such as circus skills. Then it follows on to the fairground with a variety rides such as the ferris wheel and the room of mirrors. Just beyond that is The Yard with it's firetruck DJ booth and enough space for all kinds of fun and game such as Hobby Horse Gymkhana.

Once you hit the main filed and it's a glorious view across the lake, there is a variety of things to see and do, as well as eat! The lineup this year was pretty stellar with Leftfield, Basement Jaxx and Tom Odell to name a few as well as well-curated kids activities such as yoga, crafts, storytelling and theatrical performances. Although we spent most of the time dancing to the live music, trying different foods and soaking up the atmosphere.

When it comes to food there is a focus on local produce and companies putting on workshops, walks, feasts, a large artisan market and a variety of street food. Even the majority of beer and cider is local and they cater really well for everyone including veggies and vegan, gluten, nut and dairy free so really everyone can enjoy something.

While Valley Fest isn't the biggest festival it has a lot of soul and a very relaxed and welcoming feel to it. It's less manic than some of the ones we went to this summer and has a real focus on connecting with the land and enjoying the present. As weekend festival go it's also one of the more reasonably priced ones with early bird tickets currently on sale for £99 for a weekend with camping.

*We were provided a family day ticket in exchange for an honest review