Activities on their website: https://www.kidsfest.co.nz/ from Friday 5 June

We’re emailing to let your school community know that planning for one of Canterbury children’s most loved annual events, KidsFest, is well underway despite the challenges of the current COVID-19 pandemic.

KidsFest, which runs every winter school holidays, will go ahead this year from Saturday 4 July until Sunday 19 July – although there will be changes to ensure the health and safety of participants and those running events. For the first time since the event started in 1992, there will be some online activities for children to do which will be accessed via a new interactive entertainment space, being built within the KidsFest website.

Many of the favourite “in-person” KidsFest activities held in previous years are happening, but this will be within the parameters of Government direction regarding events at the time. Large-scale Council-produced KidsFest events this year, such as the opening or closing event or The Big Chill, will not be held this year.

Despite the modifications to this year’s event, our team believed it was important to still offer KidsFest to children this year – as it’s a much-loved festival that provides entertaining and educational experiences and memories for families. We want to keep spirits up, and children to have fun these winter school holidays!

Usually your school would receive an event’s booklet at this time, however this year the booklet is not being produced. It’s been a changing environment for what activities will be able to go ahead, so instead, the line-up of activities will be listed on the KidsFest website from 5 June, when tickets will also become available.