Wharton Park events

Find out about all the upcoming events in Wharton Park.

Let it Snow Trail

Have yourselves a very merry Christmas finding the enchanting snow globes hidden around the park. Each one holds a festive character in a snowy scene.

Date: Saturday 14 December 2024 to Sunday 5 January 2025
Price: £1 per trail sheet from the café. Correct change only. No booking required.

The HandleBards: Shakespeare's 'Much Ado About Nothing' (outdoor theatre)

Date: Friday 15 August 2025

Time: doors open at 5.30pm, show starts at 6.30pm

The HandleBards return to Wharton Park in summer 2025. Make the most of the early bird offer, tickets make a great Christmas gift. Book here for The Handlebards. - make the most of the early bird offer - visit and search for Wharton Park.

Pedalling from venue to venue with their set, props and costumes on the back of their bikes, the HandleBards are a four strong troupe of actors who are spending the summer bringing environmentally sustainable Shakespeare to venues across the UK. Join them for a bicycle-powered production of Shakespeare's 'Much Ado About Nothing' like you've never seen before. In usual HandleBards style, expect riotous amounts of energy, a fair old whack of chaos, and a great deal of laughter.

A group of soldiers return from the war to a household in Messina, kindling new love interests and re-kindling old rivalries. The parallel love stories of Beatrice, Benedick, Claudio and Hero quickly become entangled with scheming, frivolity and melodrama in Shakespeare's famous comedy.

Please note the performance takes place outdoors in the park amphitheatre with seating on the grassed banks, ticket holders are advised to dress for the weather and bring a blanket or a low backed seat to sit on. Any visitors with accessibility issues can sit on the hard stand of the amphitheatre accessed from the lower level of the park or alternatively from the viewing area around the top of the amphitheatre accessed from the car park.

Self-led Love Exploring trails

Download the love exploring app for free - Download the Love Exploring app. Love Exploring allows you to take part in fun, themed, augmented reality trails including our amazing dinosaur safari and brand new roman game! It is compatible with most but not all mobile phones. Please check you can access all features of the trails before you visit.

Roman game

Learn more about Hardwick Park's East Park and the unique Roman settlement that was found there. See Roman buildings rise up from the ground and meet Roman characters all in augmented reality. You can also try our games which include shaping a Roman pot, solving a bronze making puzzle, and constructing iron tools, all through your mobile phone. East Park is found by going through the underpass near the Hardwick Park Tower and Dragon. It is a field with rough paths and we recommend sensible footwear.