Families from across the globe descended on the grounds of Rode Hall at the weekend for three days of chaos, creativity and crazy costumes.
Just So organisers Wild Rumpus pulled out all the stops for its 14th annual festival ahead of its sabbatical year in 2025.
Guests were treated to highwire artist Chris Bullzini, a fire juggling show and a giant marble run, as well as welcoming back firm favourites including story-teller Ian Douglas and children’s musical entertainer David Gibb and his Big Band.
With a packed programme across the weekend, visitors got stuck into crafting workshops, learning dance routines, practising their circus skills and watching captivating live performances.
Younger children could enjoy exploring colourful paints with the Red Hand Gang, sensory clay in the Peekaboo tent, or spend hours in the Magical Mud Kitchen.
The giant balloon show from Dizzy O’Dare had audience members of all ages howling with laughter as he bopped his way into (and out of) a giant red balloon.
As the sun started to go down, families cosied up around the campfire in the Spellbound Forest to sing Scout songs led by Ian Mackintosh, before heading over to add a line to the festival’s Neverending Story, or paying a visit to the Fairy Monarch to make a wish.
Dressed as animals from their chosen “tribe” (owl, fox, stag, lion, frog, bee or fish), children earned “golden pebbles” by telling jokes, doing good deeds, acts of kindness or litter-picking, each competing to be this year’s winner.
Despite a relentless campaign from the stags (#stagsnotlast) in the Just So members’ social media group in the run-up to the festival, the fish managed to swim away with victory after earning 3,279 pebbles to the stags’ 2,800.
In an announcement earlier this year, Wild Rumpus said the festival would take a year off in 2025, “plotting, dreaming, and conjuring up the future of Just So”, but plans are in place for its Yuletide Christmas event to return for a second year at Tatton Park throughout November and December.
More information can be found online at wildrumpus.org.uk.
