A free Picnic in the Park is taking place at the Countess of Chester Country Park, hosted by the Friends group, on Saturday (August 5).

People are invited to take along their picnic anytime from 11am to 3pm and enjoy the activities and entertainment. There will be a whole host of free sessions to watch and join in with including junk drumming, Viking re-enactment, Nordic walking, trails to explore and guided walks.

A local record team will be holding a Bioblitz to survey some of the species living in the park, giving people the chance to see Chester’s wildlife close-up, and a Chester Zoo safari ranger will also be there to talk about some of the park’s bigger and even wilder neighbours just down the road.

Hyacinth the ice-cream van will be there as well as various stalls including the Land Trust and The Conservation Trust, the charities that work in partnership to look after the park, Friends of the Earth, Keep Britain Tidy and Link.

Morag Scargill of the Friends group said: “Our first Picnic in the Park last year was such a great success that we were eager for it to go ahead again this year.

“It provides a lovely opportunity for the local community to come together and celebrate having this beautiful country park on their doorstep. The activities have been arranged to suit all age ranges and different interests, the visiting stalls will cover a range of environmental and community issues.

“We look forward to welcoming everyone to the park and enjoying a great day out together.”

There are several pedestrian entrances to the park and limited parking at the car park on Valley Drive.

Activities and stalls will be located in the middle of the park, but the event will move to Arkell Scouting and Community Centre, Upton Grange, if it is raining.

For more details on the Friends group, visit: www.facebook.com/friendsofcountesschestercountrypark/ or www.twitter.com/FriendsCoCCP

For full details about events and activities at Countess of Chester Country Park, visit: www.thelandtrust.org.uk/space/countess-of- chester-country- park/ or www.facebook.com/countessofchestercountrypark