Big Lunch Reading

Gather some friends or family and join the BIG LUNCH in Forbury Park!

This Reading Climate Festival 2024 event is hosted by ReadingCAN, Reading Borough Council and Incredible Edible Reading.

You could bring your own plastic-free picnic or try some climate-friendly food on site! Beatroots will provide sunny samba vibes and Incredible Edible Reading will put on a range of food growing activities for children and adults, including some that don’t need a garden.

At 12:30 there will be a samba parade for kids.

Some of the 'just drop in' activities will include:

Seed swap: Bring unwanted packets of seeds and swap them for something special from a vast seed library.

Right to Grow Campaign: Get info on a campaign that is empowering people across the UK to reclaim unused public spaces to grow fresh produce.

Advice Shop: Our Garden Gurus will be on hand to offer advice on a range of gardening and horticultural topics. We can connect individuals and employers to food growing groups and volunteering opportunities. Explore our maps of where to find community gardens in Reading.

Harvest-ometer: This simple online tool helps community gardens keep track of how much food they grow, how much money they save, and how much carbon they save compared to buying produce from the supermarket.

Windowsill Warriors - Potty about Pea Shoots: After tasting how delicious pea shoots can be, learn how to grow your own, with or without soil, and take your pea shoot planters home with you.

Marvellous Marigolds & Natty Nasturtiums: Learn all about these amazing edible flowers while repotting a plant to take home. Just bring a container from your recycling bins to re-purpose into a planter. We’ll provide the soil and plant. You'll also get a recipe card for cooking inspiration.

What's happening when

10:30 - 12:00: Kids instrument and shaker workshop with Beatroots

12:30 - 12:45: Kids' Samba Parade

10:30 - 15:30: Just drop in to the Incredible Edible tent for the activities listed above.

PLEASE REGISTER: The Big Lunch is free to attend but please register to help us plan the event and so we can update you in case weather prevents us from going ahead.

Incredible Edible Reading is an umbrella group of community gardeners and food growing groups in Reading. Our mission is to inspire planet friendly food and food-growing in our community.

ReadingCAN is Reading's biggest network for collective action on climate. We convene the annual Reading Climate Festival as well as public participation events that feed into the development of the town's Climate Emergency Action Strategies and Plans. 2024 is our Year of Climate Engagement, leading up to the publication of Reading's Climate Emergency Strategy for 2025 - 2030.

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Part of Reading Climate Festival 2024 (8 - 21 June 2024), two weeks of in-person and online events to inspire climate action and collaborations in Reading, ending with Show Your Stripes Day.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Forbury Gardens Public Park, 26 The Forbury, Reading, United Kingdom