Good Morning Cheshire! 👋 

From tropical cocktails in Northwich to rainbow flags in Chester, this weekend is serving up big colour, live music, and open-air vibes. Add in retro motors at Tatton, twilight walks, markets and family days, and you’ve got plenty to fill the diary - whether you’re planning all-out adventures or a gentle Sunday stroll.

In this week’s Cheshire Buzz:

• 🌴 Pina Colada Festival turns Northwich into a tropical street party

• 🏳️‍🌈 Pride parades & parties in Chester

• 🚗 Retro rides & dream cars at Tatton Park

• 🎭 Outdoor theatre & open-air cinema under summer skies

• 🛍️ Makers markets, artisan finds & foodie treats across the county

• 🐝 Hidden Gem: A tranquil loop around Lymm Dam

Let’s dive in!

🎉 What’s On In Cheshire

🎭 Pride & Prejudice
15 Aug, 7:30pm, Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre.
A sparkling, picnic-friendly revival of Austen’s classic under the trees; check dates for captioned/BSL shows.
👉 Details

🎼 Mostly Mozart
15 Aug, 7:30pm, Chester Cathedral nave.
An evening of Mozart favourites in a stunning acoustic - the perfect cultured night out.
👉 Details

🏰 Tudor Life Workshop
15 Aug, 10:30-12:00 & 1:00-2:30, Old Hall Tatton Park.
Step into 1500s life with costumed hosts; £15 includes the workshop plus Park & Old Hall entry.
👉 Details

🎉 Northwich Pina Colada Festival
16 Aug, day-long, Northwich Town Centre
A tropical takeover with an urban beach, samba parade, live music, street food and (yes) endless Pina Coladas - family-friendly and free.
👉 Details

🏳️‍🌈 Chester Pride 2025
16 Aug, Parade 12-1pm, Main event 1-8pm, Castle Square (plus city-wide venues)
Parade and festival with main stages, Family Pride Zone, wellbeing areas, market stalls and late-night parties across town.
👉 Details

🎖️ VJ Day Picnic in the Park (Warrington)
16 Aug, 2-5pm, Warrington Town Hall (rear lawn)
Mark the 80th anniversary with a relaxed afternoon picnic: 1940s-style entertainment by Lucy, optional dressing up, afternoon tea picnic box, bar, and seating provided.
👉 Details

🪩 Back in the Daytime Outdoor Disco
16 Aug, 3pm-11pm, Swan & Chequers, Sandbach
Daytime dance party with classic club anthems under the summer sun - think Shelley’s/Golden vibes, cocktails and an outdoor dancefloor.
👉 Details

🚗 Classic & Retro Car Revival
16-17 Aug, 9:30am-4pm, Tatton Park, Knutsford
The reimagined Tatton car show returns with classics and retro icons, huge autojumble, Sporting Bears “Dream Rides” and a Kid Zone powered by Scalextric.
👉 Details

🕺 Throwback Masters: Over-30s Day Clubbing (80s & 90s Classics)
16 Aug, 4-9pm, Bonobo Bar & Canteen, Chester
All killer, no filler - dance to 80s/90s bangers and be home by nine; early-bird tickets from £5 + booking-fee.
👉 Details

🧺 Wilmslow Artisan Market
16 Aug, 10am-4pm Wilmslow Town Centre
The Market Co’s flagship monthly market brings 120+ quality traders - artisan food, bakes, crafts, homeware and gifts.
👉 Details

🐌 ZooLab: Speedy Snail Adventures
16 Aug, Quarry Bank, Wilmslow
Story-led, hands-on creature encounters (think cockroaches, scorpions & snakes) with 45-min sessions at 11:00, 12:00 & 13:00. £3.50 pp, booking essential.
👉 Details

🦊 Wildlife Weekend (Holmes Chapel Zoo)
16-17 Aug, 10am-5pm (last entry 4pm): family-friendly fun with Cheshire Wildlife Trust - face painting, mask making, wildlife crafts, hedgehog rescue. All your usual animal encounters are included with admission.
👉 Details

🤠 Monster Country Festival
17 Aug, Cheshire Showground, Tabley (Knutsford)
A full-day, family-friendly mash-up of live country tributes, stunt shows, funfair rides and street food (book ahead).
👉 Details

🛍️ Tarporley Makers Market
17 Aug, 11am-4pm, The Swan, Tarporley
Curated stalls from indie makers, live music from 2Beatz Duo and free kids’ crafting- lovely village vibes on a Sunday.
👉 Details

🐯 Chester Zoo: Afterglow (Final Day)
17 Aug, 3-8pm, Chester Zoo
Golden-hour zoo vibes with music, pop-ups and rides, last chance this summer!
👉 Details

🐴 Showjumping Summer Series
17 Aug, from 9am, Somerford Park, Congleton.
Open classes 30cm-1m, rosettes & prizes, photographer and on-site catering; riders of all levels welcome (spectators too).
👉 Details

🧪 Northwich Explorers - Plastics
14-21 Aug, 11am-1pm, Lion Salt Works.
Hands-on STEM fun exploring plastics & polymers with natural ingredients.
👉 Details

🦁 That’s Not My… Zoo Party (Rhythm Time)
Tue 19 Aug, 10:00-11:00am, Nantwich Elim Church, Nantwich
A 40-minute musical adventure for ages 0-5, followed by 20 minutes of socials - animal-themed songs, movement and sensory fun.
👉 Details

🕵️‍♂️ The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Chester) 
Until Sun 31 Aug, Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre
Brand-new open-air adaptation set in modern-day Chester (age guidance 10+).
👉 Details

🌙 Night-time Wildlife Walk
21 Aug, 8-10pm, Quarry Bank, Wilmslow (also 28 & 29 Aug)
A guided evening stroll with rangers to spot owls, badgers and bats (with a bat biscuit at the finish). £14pp, booking essential; uneven terrain (no prams).
👉 Details

🍴 Date for the diary: Nantwich Food Festival returns 29-31 Aug across the town centre. Three days, three sites, and hundreds of artisan producers at one of the UK’s largest free-to-enter food festivals (big crowds expected).

‼️ Don’t miss the quick bites section below for even more things to do! 👇

📌 Quick Bites

🎈 Summer Bounce 2025 (Warrington) - On until Sun 31 Aug, Golden Square, 10am-5pm: giant inflatables take over Old Market Square for easy school-holiday fun. 👉 Details

🗣️ Poetry Pandemonium - Mash Guru. A riot of verse with guest poets (incl. Stoke’s Poet Laureate Nick Degg), open-mic spots and laughs for £3 on the door. 👉 Details

🚼 The Baby Fayre (Crewe) - Free family expo with local baby/parenting businesses, free parking and changing facilities - ideal for parents-to-be and little ones. 👉 Details

🎭 Alice in Wonderland: A Walkabout Experience - Daily until Sat 30 Aug at Grosvenor Park, Chester. Immersive, bite-size outdoor theatre for little ones. 👉 Details

🚶 Let’s Walk! Canal & Riverside Walk - 15 Aug, 10-11am, Fairways Garden Centre. A friendly, leader-led hour’s stroll alongside the canal and river. 👉 Details

🐴 Local Spotlight: Lion Salt Works (Marston, Northwich)

Cheshire’s last remaining open-pan salt works is now a brilliantly hands-on museum - think Victorian sheds, steaming “salt pans,” and the story of how salt shaped our towns. It’s unique, local, and very us.

Inside, the galleries mix film, sound and clever set-pieces (look out for the “subsiding house” and the atmospheric pan-house light show) so even non-history buffs stay hooked.

Outdoors, there’s an industrial-themed play area and a butterfly garden for five-minute breathers between exhibits - plus regular family sessions like Little Lions in school holidays.

Practical bits: Open Tue-Sun, 10:30-5:00 (last entry 4:00); adults £7.50, concessions £6.70, children & carers go free; fully accessible; free parking on site (Ollershaw Lane, CW9 6ES).

Make a day of it: stroll the Trent & Mersey Canal or pair your visit with the Anderton Boat Lift just up the way for a proper industrial heritage double-bill.

Why We Love It: There’s nowhere else like it in the UK - local history, kid-friendly extras, and a cracking cafe for the debrief.

🔗 Lion Salt Works Museum Website

🔥 Hot & New

🥶 Coald Club - Hot/Cold Therapy (Tarporley) - Now open at Rose Farm, Cheshire’s first dedicated sauna + ice bath hub with a yoga studio, community space and speciality coffee. 👉 Details

🎤 Pop-Inns Musical Theatre Bar (Warrington) - grand opening Fri 22 Aug; expect live performances, themed nights and daiquiris. 👉 Details

🎾 Padel Sheds - Chester (Coming Summer 2025) - Chester’s first indoor padel centre is landing this Summer, with 3 courts, cafe, changing rooms and free parking; follow for launch updates and Playtomic bookings. 👉 Details

🧆 Maray is coming to Chester - The cult Liverpool/MCR small-plates spot (hello, Disco Cauliflower) lands in the city centre this coming winter. 👉 Details

🌳 Woodie’s @ The Skymaster (Warrington) - Now open following a family-focused refit with play areas and a “sweet factory” for kids. 👉 Details

🌟 Community Highlights

Here are some local news stories (without the crime or politics!)

• VJ Day 80th Anniversary (Fri 15th Aug) - Cheshire East is marking the anniversary with local commemorations (e.g., service at Congleton Cenotaph, 11am) (source)
  

• Crewe’s King George V revamp begins - £1.4m upgrade underway: new 3G pitch plus a refurbished, accessible pavilion for community football. (source)
  

• Chester Zoo joy - Vets confirm the viral snow leopard cub is a girl after her first health check (and she’s thriving). (source)
  

• Solar Together returns (West Cheshire) - Group-buy solar scheme reopens for registrations, helping households cut bills and go green. (source)
  

• Warrington: Better links are coming - An hourly Warrington-Altrincham (via Lymm) bus returns and a new Altrincham-Lymm service launches from 1 September, improving South Warrington connections. (source)
  

• Chester: A lovely milestone at the market - Geoff Hughes Family Butchers celebrates 50 years of serving customers at Chester Market. (source)
  

• Knutsford: Tatton Park has retained both Green Flag and Green Heritage recognition - another nod to top-class parkland right on our doorstep. (source)

💎 Hidden Gem: Lymm Dam & The Dingle (Lymm, Warrington)

A tranquil loop with big postcard energy. Start at the A56 and circle the water with St Mary’s church peeking over the treeline, then duck into The Dingle’s shaded boardwalks and streams before rejoining the lakeside path. It’s short, scenic and easy to love - perfect for a breezy hour with a takeaway coffee.

Paths are mostly level with compact surfaces, and there are pushchair-friendly options if you skip the steps (ideal for little legs and gentle strolls). Keen wanderers can extend onto the Bridgewater Canal or the Trans Pennine Trail for a longer explore.

Parking is available at Crouchley Lane and in village car parks a few minutes’ walk away.

For the best vibes, aim for golden hour. The church, dam and treetops glow, and the water goes mirror-calm. If you fancy a little extra, continue from the dam onto the Bridgewater Canal towpath for a there-and-back to Oughtrington or Thelwall, then loop into the village.

❤️ Why we love it: Gentle, calm, and varied with water, woods and village cafes in one easy loop.

🔗 Get The Route
🔗 Lymm Dam

That’s it for this week.

Thanks for reading The Cheshire Buzz! See you next Thursday - same time, same inbox.