Padding into the long grass of the field we were greeted by a myriad of colours, smells, sounds and musical notes; Woodside Festival was just getting started, but the air was already alive with wonder – and thick with anticipation.
The festival, which took place at Woodside Farm in Shipley, was made for families. Boasting wild yoga, storytelling, crafts, stalls and dancing it encouraged the old and young to forget everything and simply exist alongside nature. Well, there’s little else you can do when you’re surrounded on all sides by wildlife. We watched the very talented Andrew Frost carve an owl from a tree stump; we marvelled as a kestrel came to life on the side of a barn at the hands of Fauna Graphic; we sang, and learned as we enrolled at Hatchling College with The Handmade Theatre. I enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with my family, and I knew that those around me felt exactly the same. Plus, the Gin Kitchen, Amber Ales, and wood-fired pizzas courtesy of Pizza of Dreams certainly helped the mood! There were plenty of other vendors to capture the imagination, of course.