Bury Light Night

We decided that a 5 year old, 3 year old, a man recovering from Meningitis and a woman with a broken leg were the perfect ensemble to go to an event where you walk round for 2 or 3 hours ~ so we spent this evening at Bury Light Night. We've been to the previous 2 and our 5 year old remembers them vividly, so they're important memory-making events, and great fun, and we just didn't want to miss out.

A 'Light Night' for those of you unfortunate enough never to have experienced one, is a free event where a town centre is shut off to traffic and filled with light - flames, candles, torches, spotlights, LED's, projections and fairy lights. Millions of lights......and maybe a bit of music and street theatre....and food....

My photo's are a bit sketchy in parts because it's not easy to take spur of the moment shots with crutches!

We arrived at Kay Gardens in Bury Town Centre at the perfect time, at dusk, and everything was just being switched on....
The next thing we saw were these projected canisters with moving body parts. You never know what you'll find....

We walked through the shopping centre and paid a visit to the Bury Road Traffic Safety people, who gave the children free reflective stickers and armbands, and a really cool magnetic reflector that fastens round the edge of any clothing. We made light up windmills with the 'Street Pastors' and were given some radiator reflectors to save us some money by the 'Keep Warm, Keep Well' people.

Up to The Rock and there was a big crowd gathered to watch 3 people dressed in white dancing inside giant snow globes. I have to say it - very surreal.

We walked all the way down the main street from there to the Parish Church at the other end.....via  hot dog seller and a delicious cupcake stall, and the amazing fire display that has been there each year on top of the coffee shop...

Outside the Church was a gorgeous candle garden - which my boys nearly missed because they were too interested in the flashing tat stall.

Inside the Castle Armoury was another surreal moment - a huge circle of chairs and tables, with couples dancing in their finery in the middle, and with a real tango quintet playing!

Outside though was one of my highlights. A huge projection onto the side of the building with animation and music accompanying.

These were gorgeous Lancashire roses 'growing' up the walls, although sadly the red doesn't really show up in the photo's.

Two years ago one of the highlights was a hot air balloon in the East Lancs Railway yard, and it was due to be back, but it was far too windy today. We were really lucky though, because it gave us the highlight of the night. The balloonists had brought out everything but the balloon, and were very obliging to all who came over to see them.

Onward to the Library Gardens and storytelling inside a giant peach.

Beautifully coloured fog round a fountain

An amazing flower covered waterwheel lit from all angles...

Lights in the trees....

And balls and sounds in the trees....

And then we'd walked probably further then 3 of us needed to, so it was time to go...it was also 9.30pm....

We had  great time. I enjoyed it better than last year, but I still miss the tealights in jam jars from 2 years ago, and torches in ladies tights strung from trees so that children could pull them and watch them dance....

We will be back next year. Nothing could stop us this year...We've all made some more memories....and bought some more fabulous flashing tat....

I'm linking to Country Kids because although it was in a town - it was very definitely Outdoor Family Fun!