Active Travel Festival Chester

Sunday 18 June 2023

FREE ENTRY

Castle Square, Lower Car Park, CH1 2DN (opposite Abode Hotel).

After a successful crowdfunding campaign ATfest is coming!

 This fun-filled day will be jam-packed with activities for all the family to enjoy.

The aim is to inspire local residents of all ages and abilities to make cleaner, greener, healthier and sustainable transport choices in their every day lives.

Complete our SURVEY for the opportunity to win some amazing draw prizes including: £1,000 voucher from The Bike Factory, a £250 Chester gift-card from BID and £100 voucher for Go Outdoors, Saltney.

(PLEASE ENSURE YOU TAKE BOTH THE PRE EVENT AND POST EVENT SURVEY TO ENTER THE COMPETITION)

What is Active Travel?

Walking, cycling and wheeling – what we collectively call ‘active travel’ – simply means making journeys in physically active ways.

Aimed at all ages and abilities the ACTIVE TRAVEL FESTIVAL or ATFest will be fun and informative, with the purpose to promote active travel as the natural choice for those short journeys: to school, work or the shops.

So, if you’re a driver who’s interested in reducing your car use then ATfest is for you…

What are the Benefits?

Health & Wellbeing

as physical activity for just 30 minutes a day has huge physical, mental and social health benefits

Environment & Community

by reducing the environmental impacts of congestion, reducing CO2 emissions and improving air quality

Economy

people travelling into the city using active travel spend 30% more time and money than drivers, which benefits the local economy
Schedule of events at ATfest 2023

Joining Us at ATFest 2023

Cllr Louise Gittins - Leader of the CW&C Council

Cllr Sheila Little - Lord Mayor of Chester

Samantha Dixon – MP for Chester

Simon O’Brien – TV Actor and Presenter

Liverpool City Region Cycling and Walking Commissioner

Chester Heritage Festival

This event is running alongside ATFest and we are proud to be working with them to encourage people to walk around our amazing city and appreciate it's rich history and heritage. Some events will be on the same day as ATFest but there are plenty of others to enjoy through the week.

For more information about Chester Heritage Festival and their brilliant events click here

"Women of Chester" Guided Walk

Walk in the footsteps of Chester's amazing women. Join one of our local guides on a walk through the city streets and nearly 2,000 years of history. You'll hear the stories of some of the amazing women who founded, defended, and helped shape this ancient city. Whether you're a long-term resident or a first-time visitor, there'll hopefully be something new to intrigue you along the way

Tickets £10. Bookable in advance or on the day from the Visitor Information Centre on Northgate Street.

For more information click here

eBike Taster Ride

Festival Village

Enjoy a FREE eBike taster session at our Festival Village. Whether you’re thinking of buying an electric bike or trying one out for the first time, we are partnering with THE BIKE FACTORY, a Chester based supplier of ebikes to ensure that you enjoy your personal taster session. If you can ride a bike, then let the experts guide you through the basics followed by a short test-ride. They are open to age 16+ and helmets are essential. Whether for leisure or as a sustainable transport option, give it a go…and it’s FREE! 

Dr Bike Repair Shop

FREE health check for your bike at the Festival Village Our friendly on-site mechanics from Cheshire Cycles will assess your bike with a 20 point check ranging from wheels, brakes, gears and tyre pressures to lights, racks, pedals, saddles and more. You’ll then be given a jargon-free written report – a bit like an MOT – which will highlight any identified safety or maintenance issues. Any minor adjustments or repairs will be made there and then if possible. The clinic is taking place at the Festival Village and is open to both children’s and adult bikes with a standard triage time of 15 minutes..

Freestyle Mountain Bike Stunts

Festival Village

FREE to attend at the Festival Village. Cheshire Cycles has teamed up with Extreme Mountain Bike Stunts to present a thrilling stunt display. Headed up by multiple British and European trials bike champion, Danny Buter, the stunt show will amaze and entertain, with riders flying through the air performing breath taking tricks and stunts. This is an extreme sport that requires a lot of discipline and skill to perform at the highest level.

Ginger Scooter Trial

Festival Village

You may have seen the Ginger scooters parked around Chester but have you ever tried one? TRY ONE FOR FREE in our festival Village on 18th June.

Films & Talks

Storyhouse

6 pm Film: THE LAST RIDER

2 pm Chester Heritage Festival - Chester's 3 Rs - Talk  - Grosvenor Museum

An illustrated talk by Paul Hyde providing an overview of three key aspects that help give Chester its distinctive sense-of-place.
No booking of this free event is necessary.

Schools Active Travel Poster Competition

RIVERSIDE INNOVATION CENTRE

Here’s an opportunity to get creative! We’ve partnered with local schools to create the first ever Active Travel poster competition. Entries will be displayed as part of the active travel festival fringe.

FREE ENTRY

Team Talk

No one knows Chester better than its residents, which is why your involvement in this event is so important to us!

With the ambition of Government via Active Travel England for 50% of trips in England’s towns and cities to be walked, cycled or wheeled by 2030 we want Cheshire West and Chester (CWaC) to put active travel at the very heart of its transport strategy. Measures to support active travel can come in a range of forms so we want to make sure that what is built in the future makes sense and forms a network that can serve the whole city, and for that we need your input.

Tell us what active travel improvements you would like to see by completing our survey.

As the organisers of ATfest our goals are to:

Promote active travel in Chester

Engage with the local community

Ensure ATfest is accessible to all

Build and develop relationships with local businesses