Raft race, giant maze and summer fun - the best things to do in Peterborough this week

Deepings Raft Race

August 4, from 11am

This year’s theme of Mardi Gras / Carnival should draw lots of colourful and outrageous raft designs and fancy-dress outfits. For the younger children, mini rafts built from recycled materials are on display in Tesco, Market Deeping, until race day. Beneficiaries this year:

Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance, Peterborough Air Training Corps, Deeping United Football Club and Deaf Blind UK.

www.deepingsraftrace.co.uk

Summer of fun maze

PE1 retail park, August 4 to Septemper 1

The retail park is hosting something extra special for families for the summer. With plenty of twists and turns, visitors can navigate and explore a giant maze that will lead to a 50 ft tall helter-skelter volcano! Climb to the top of this molten mountain, then slide down the flow of lava to reach the ground once more. Each week, the magnificent maze will adopt a different theme. From jungle japes (August 4-11) to Aztec antics and Egyptian entertainment to Jurassic jaunts.

www.pe1.co.uk

Archaeologist for a day

Peterborough Cathedral, August 7-15

A holiday club adventure day with an archaeology theme, for children aged eight to 12. Learn how archaeologists dig to carefully uncover the past, layer by layer. Climb up to the Triforium to discover clues to the cathedral’s history to piece together what the building would have looked like 900 years ago. Explore different archaeological techniques to discover how archaeologists unpack history. Investigate real artefacts to discover the history of Peterborough Cathedral.

More info at [email protected]

Summer fun

Springfields, Spalding, until August 26

Family-oriented shows return to the stage in the Festival Gardens. Show themes will change each week and as part of the fun, every show will include a fancy-dress competition for the children. Until August 4 it is Dino’s Birthday Party Week. Dino the Dinosaur will be celebrating his birthday by taking to the Festival Gardens stage to show off his party tricks and even attempt to bake his own birthday cake. What could possibly go wrong? August 5-11 is Ben’s Beach Party– a super beach-themed party, with twice-daily shows from the spectacular acrobatic and tumbling gymnast Backflip Ben.

www.springfieldsoutlet.co.uk

Summer of Stories

Queensgate until August 9

Enjoy fun with book characters, family story time and crafts. Stories will be read by the wonderful Wendy Wordsworth, including Fairytale Friends with Little Red Riding Hood and the Not-So-Big-Bad Wolf;

Adventures with Words with Will Whiskers the Mouse and Hermione Hare; Dip into Stories with Egg Soldiers; The Magic of Stories with Professor Page Turner and Harry Hardback.

www.queensgate-shopping.co.uk/

Fun Day

Itter Park, August 4

Live bands all afternoon, a dog show, fair rides, face painting, refreshments and more.

Baston in the Blitz

Baston, August 3 and 4

Enjoy 60 vintage traders, including a number of new stalls, over 70 WW2 living history displays and more than 500 WW2 re-enactors.

Werrington local history group

Werrington Village Centre, tonight

Speaker Tim Stubbs is mine host of the Red Lion in Warmington, but grew up in Thurlby where his father had a bakery. His talk is all about village folk and life in general – an entertaining look at the funny side of village life.

7:30pm, visitors £3 at the door.