Name: Spring Family Festival
Start: 2026-04-08T12:00:00+01:00
Location: Tameside

Get ready for a spectacular Spring Family Festival this Easter holiday with free activities and performances to give residents and visitors a taste of what’s to come in Ashton and Stalybridge town centres. 🐰💐

Ashton Market Square is nearly ready to open its doors following a £10.8M transformation programme, funded by UK Government Levelling Up money, while the newly refurbished Stalybridge Victoria Market Hall is poised to build on its already blossoming programme of events and activities. To give a taste of what these new spaces will look like and be used for, Tameside Council is holding a fabulous four-day family festival from 8 to 11 April 2026. 🎉

The Spring Family Festival will begin on Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 April between 10am and 4pm with a two day Ashton Spring Preview in Ashton Market Square, which will include free vintage fairground rides, carnival, theatre, dance and music performances, free face painting, balloon modelling and arts and crafts, and street food stalls. Parts of the market square are still undergoing work, however a central part of the square in front of Ashton Library will be open for the event.

On day three, Friday 10 April, the Spring Family Festival will move to Stalybridge for the first Street Fest of the year. This ever popular event is back again for 2026 on the second Friday of every month with an array of delicious food and drink stalls and family entertainment. There will also be an artisan market in Stalybridge Victoria Market Hall to tie in with Street Fest to further enhance the offer for visitors and this will continue at every Street Fest this year.

Day four of the Spring Family Festival will be back in Ashton Market Square for a Super Saturday taster event on 11 April. This foodie family event will give a food and drink themed preview of the Super Saturday events planned for Ashton once the market square is fully back open in the summer. The taster will include Street food and drink stalls with free entertainment to appeal to visitors, families and shoppers alike. 10am - 4pm.

There’s free parking for up to two hours in all Tameside Council run car parks before 6pm Monday to Saturday, making it even easier for people to enjoy a free outing at the events. 🩷