Last July, the little ones, my sister and I had tons of fun at Geronimo, an annual children’s festival in the UK. We thought it was brilliant and since Geronimo 2019 has been confirmed and tickets are now on sale, I think it’s a good idea to share our experiences with you.
If you are still trying to decide whether or not it would be worth going, I completely understand. After my sister had booked tickets for us, I was actually very pessimistic towards the idea in the days leading up to the event. She had purchased tickets for £25 each (with additional booking fees I am guessing), adults and children tickets costing the same, which I thought was extortionate at the time. Although this included car parking and Cutie Baby’s ticket was free (as she was under 2), we would have to pay extra for a programme on the day as well as fairground rides. I thought this was a rip-off!
So with me in my negative mood and not expecting very much, my sister drove us to Knebworth House in Hertfordshire. As soon as we pulled up we were taken aback by the stunning scenery chosen as the backdrop for the festival. It was gorgeous and the weather was perfect that day too for an outdoor festival. As we entered the gates we were welcomed by performers in mystical costumes, dressed as unicorns and dragons. We were overwhelmed with a colourful, vibrant and quirky carnival atmosphere and started making a plan for the day as soon as we had bought a programme for £5.
With over 100 activities on offer, we had a difficult time choosing which we would do and which we could give a miss, as time would not allow for all. As well as the magical performers, we took photos with some well-known cartoon characters and collected some fun freebies too. We enjoyed pony rides, meeting giant tortoises, messy play, sensory experiences, fairground rides, obstacle courses and much more. After lunch, we watched performances on stage and enjoyed dancing and singing along with Mr Tumble (Justin Fletcher)! My favourite part was watching Cirque Du Hilarious, an award-winning family comedy circus act. They were so entertaining and incredibly talented too. They also requested the audience to promote their upcoming children’s television show ‘Danny & Mick’ which will air on CBBC in 2019 – sounds like good fun for the little ones. At the end of the day, there was a pleasant set up to wind down the children with a viewing of The Gruffalo on a big screen. Known as the ‘Glastonbury for kids’, I think it is safe to say Geronimo far exceeded my expectations and we had a phenomenal time!
Check out our photos from the day below. We almost had a scare and lost all of them, so they are precious to us! As usual, thank you to my sister for capturing these memories.
The whole festival seemed very well organised and everything was catered around the needs of children and parents. It was really convenient to have access to a breastfeeding tent, nappy changing areas as well as the standard portaloos and supply of drinking water.
Geronimo started in 2015, when founder Simon Goldman, decided to launch an event which worked around the needs of families and allowed them to spend quality time together at a fun festival. As he is a father of seven children, he wished for a setting where everything would be under one roof to accommodate children from all age groups.
Initially, I had been cynical about the cost of the tickets, but later I was surprised to learn that most festivals do not even break-even in the first few years! It makes sense, particularly in this case, if you consider the sheer number of activities and people involved. There were some rumours that Geronimo would be cancelled due to cost issues, so I am glad to hear Geronimo 2019 has been confirmed.
Check out the Geronimo website for highlights from Geronimo 2018. You can purchase tickets for Geronimo 2019 here. You can purchase one-day tickets, as we did, two-day or four-day tickets. You even have the option of glamping or camping!
Although we had a great time, I think we would have had a better time had we been able to plan better. It would have been handy to have access to the schedule of the day beforehand, even if we had to pay for it. There just simply isn’t enough time to cover everything and you are too dazzled on the day by your surroundings to make a good enough plan.
Two more things I had hoped for but did not find; halal food options and a prayer area. As we were the only Muslims I could spot for miles (but of course I know I cannot be ignorant and assume I can always tell if a person is Muslim or not), it is likely there was not a massive need for these things, however much it would have benefited me. If this festival were to take place in Muscat, of course these things would be part of the package automatically. It would be fantastic to see something like this here, especially as there is such an emphasis on family life!
Mumma in Muscat 