What’s on in Stroud this week: 26 May – 1 June
It’s half-term already, and Monday is a bank holiday so there is plenty of family fun on offer around Stroud, with special activities at the Museum in the Park, alpacas at Five Valleys and a bee trail at the Rococo Garden.
Plus a little further afield, the bank holiday Monday offers a selection of traditional seasonal events from cheese rolling on Cooper’s Hill, to woolsack racing in Tetbury, and a duck race in South Cerney.
Find out more in our regular look at things coming up in Stroud and the wider district. To suggest an event for inclusion, use this form.
Regular and one off events
- Watch the cheese chasers on Cooper’s Hill – Mon 26 May, 12 noon
Technically a stone’s throw outside the Stroud District but still attracting a good crowd of Stroudies among spectators from all over the world, the annual cheese rolling on Cooper’s Hill is not for the faint-hearted. The first written evidence of cheese rolling dates from a letter to the Town Crier of Gloucester in 1826, but it is thought to date back more than six hundred years.
- Watch the Tetbury Woolsack Races – Mon 26 May, 10am – 5pm
A relatively modern celebration of Cotswold history, the Tetbury Woolsack Races have been taking place since 1972 and see participants racing up and down Tetbury’s 1:4 gradient Gumstool Hill carrying sacks of wool weighing up to 60lbs. Markets and entertainment also take place on the day.
- Attend the Knights’ Tournament at Berkeley Castle – Mon 26 May, 11am -5pm
Berkeley Castle’s Knights’ Tournament Weekend continues on bank holiday Monday with four fully-armoured knights doing battle in choreographed competitive fights. Watch the knights compete in archery and sword fighting and meet them in the knights’ camp, where they share stories and meet visitors at their tents.
- See alpacas at Five Valleys – Tue 27 May, 12noon – 2:30pm
Fennell’s Alpacas bring their small herd of alpacas to the Five Valleys Shopping Centre for a special half term session. Attendees will have opportunities to feed, stroke and photograph the animals, and the team will also be offering fleece processing demonstrations and alpaca wool products for sale.
- Learn about woolly wonders at the Museum in the Park – Tue 27 – Fri 30 May
As part of a series of fun half term activities at the Museum in the Park, the team offer different sessions each day inspired by wool, clothmaking and paper weaving. Plus, explore with a special Woolly Wonders Family Explorer Trail.
- Watch Lydney Town Band in Stratford Park – Sun 1 Jun, 2 – 4pm
The brass players of Lydney Town Band traverse the River Severn for a one-off free concert at Stratford Park Bandstand. The band, who have been performing since 1892 (though presumably with different members) regularly compete in regional and national events.
Continuing this week
- Learn about bees at Painswick Rococo Garden – Continues until Sun 1 Jun, 10am – 5pm
Painswick Rococo Garden’s half term offering sees the launch of a brand-new, environmentally friendly family trail. The trail promises to guide participants around the gardens via fun facts about bees and the amazing work they do to keep the garden blooming.
Further afield
- Watch the South Cerney Duck Race – Mon 26 May, 10am – 5pm
The South Cerney Street Fair and Duck Race returns for another year, with stalls and attractions around the centre of the village. The day culminates in scores of plastic ducks racing each other along a well-spectated section of the River Churn with the winner crowned champion of the Grand Duck Race
For a full month of art, music, theatre, literature, film and comedy events, pick up a copy of Stroud’s popular listings magazine, Good on Paper.
