Attractions

Get your awesome festival photo taken with The Big Smile Photo Booth Company. Photos are printed and ready to take away in about 15 seconds and it's one easy and fun way to capture the festival weekend. 

The photo booth is an open-style design and you don't have to climb inside a cramped compartment which means more people can have their photo taken - just walk in, pose and smile and we do the rest. Prints measure 6"x4" and last absolutely ages.
 

Located just a couple of minutes' walk from the festival site lies the International Centre for Birds of Prey.

Within its 10 acre grounds you will find the largest collection of birds of prey in the North of England. Eagles, owls, vultures, hawks and falcons live and breed in spacious enclosures. A team of trained birds fly free at 11.30am, 2pm and 4.15pm. Don’t forget your camera! Children and adults alike will love seeing the birds do what they do best.

The Centre is easy to find – clearly signed off the main drive near the house. Or walk down the parklands towards the “Bird of Prey Centre” banner. The Fountain Tearoom is open for tea/coffee, home cooked food and cakes to die for - they accept vouchers or cash. Open from 9am until 6pm, 7 days a week.  10% off entry for anyone wearing a Galtres Parklands Festival wristband.

Back again after the bucking bronco's runaway success last year, we're delighted to welcome them to Duncombe Park for 2014. Almost as much fun to watch as to do, we look forward to seeing how long you can stay on ... especially after a few pints of Ampleforth Cider! 

Find the rodeo in the Oxman arena near the sound desk.

Tall Trees Island and the Galleon Stage become the pulsating heart of Galtres on Sunday night, as dub-reggae maestros Irie Vibes move in with their decks and mega-soundsystem. It's going to one rather groovy closing party!

Irie Vibes is York's biggest reggae and dub collective playing all forms of Jamaican-inspired music on the city's heaviest, custom-built sound system. Operating since October 2009 it has developed into one of the north's most repsected roots and culture events incorporating traditional cuisine, homemade decor and a unique and unparellelled atmosphere. Past guests include Channel One Soundsystem, Vibronics, RSD aka Rob Smith, Benny Page, Lady Lex, Celt Islam, Inspirational Sound and many more.

Their DJ set on the Galleon on Sunday will continue into the Silent Disco in the Little Top after midnight - switch to channel 3!

Vintage Fairground Rides the children will love - from Huby's Brian King.

It is thought that the funfair originated in Roman times, though this is not a certainty. What is documented is that during the Middle Ages in Europe, there were chartered fairs. These were essentially trade shows that took place roughly between 1200 and 1400. They were gatherings of international traders and their wares, and subsequently included entertainers. It is likely that funfairs are the descendants of chartered fairs.

By the eighteenth century in England, the entertainment portion of the chartered fair had become a spin off known as the funfair, and provided amusement for communities as its bands of unusual humans and wild animals, jugglers, acrobats, puppet shows, peep shows and other acts travelled about the country. Funfairs introduced the first fairground rides around this time.

Vintage Fairground Rides the children will love - from Huby's Brian King.

It is thought that the funfair originated in Roman times, though this is not a certainty. What is documented is that during the Middle Ages in Europe, there were chartered fairs. These were essentially trade shows that took place roughly between 1200 and 1400. They were gatherings of international traders and their wares, and subsequently included entertainers. It is likely that funfairs are the descendants of chartered fairs.

By the eighteenth century in England, the entertainment portion of the chartered fair had become a spin off known as the funfair, and provided amusement for communities as its bands of unusual humans and wild animals, jugglers, acrobats, puppet shows, peep shows and other acts travelled about the country. Funfairs introduced the first fairground rides around this time.

Vintage Fairground Rides the children will love - from Huby's Brian King.

It is thought that the funfair originated in Roman times, though this is not a certainty. What is documented is that during the Middle Ages in Europe, there were chartered fairs. These were essentially trade shows that took place roughly between 1200 and 1400. They were gatherings of international traders and their wares, and subsequently included entertainers. It is likely that funfairs are the descendants of chartered fairs.

By the eighteenth century in England, the entertainment portion of the chartered fair had become a spin off known as the funfair, and provided amusement for communities as its bands of unusual humans and wild animals, jugglers, acrobats, puppet shows, peep shows and other acts travelled about the country. Funfairs introduced the first fairground rides around this time.

With music provided by Irie Vibes!

The Flamborough trolls, a tribe of ugly, horrid monsters, who love nothing more then running around Galtres Festivals bringing hugs and joy to all.

Watch out for them over the weekend!!!!!

These are no keyboard warrior kind of trolls either, but proper, rubbery-faced, raggedy-trousered ones who shamble and cavort their way around the festival site spreading fun and laughter in their wake. They also have great dance moves.

This wonderful walkabout act will make you believe for just a split second that Helmsley has been invaded by a bunch of friendly trolls. Great fun for kids and equally amusing for adult festival-goers!

Who?: The Trolls
Where?: They could be anywhere...
When?: ...at any time!
Why?: Because under their scary demeanour, The Trolls are actually a pretty fun bunch to be around!

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside...

What's better than a traditional English seaside donkey ride?...A donkey ride at Galtres Parklands Festival 2014!

If you enjoyed our camels last year this year's animal visitors will not disappoint..and yes, as you can actually ride them!

For the adults who are getting over excited with the prospect...sorry they are for the younger audience only!

The Magic Ball Man is a contact juggler not a magician. There are no magic
balls or tricks though it just might be “the closest thing to real magic” that
you'll ever see. Contact juggling is a rarely seen art form, a combination of
skill, precision, timing and movement working together to create the illusion
that the ball is gliding and floating as if defying gravity.

Back to Galtres following their hugely popular introduction in 2013, we're again delighted to offer Vintage Dodgems, run by some very nice people. Now that's going to be a lot of fun. Just 2 vouchers per car (that's 1 voucher each person- £1.75).

The origins of the Dodgem track is difficult to trace with various claims to be first, and a multitude of patents in existence, though the crux seems to be the actual development of the Dodgem as we know it - a controllable 'bumper car' and electrical pick-up to the roof 'nets'.

Dodgems had been around for a few years abroad before they were introduced to Britain in 1928 by Messrs Lusse Brothers. Their popularity was soon established, with a number of well-known British firms, including Orton and Spooner, Robert Lakin and Lang Wheels building tracks.

The Galtres Parklands Festival track is a 1940s Supercar Dodgem Track and approximately 60 ft x 40ft. The current set of 16 Dodgems in use are the French-built Reverchon 'auto-scooter cars', circa 1984.