Families filled the town centre over the weekend to enjoy the array of outdoor performances during Festival Oldham.
This year’s outdoor arts festival celebrated the theme of play with more than 40 different performances and activities held across the town centre on Saturday.
Activities on the day included puppet shows, musical statues, plate spinning, face painting, food juggling and street games from Urban Canvas.
Shows including Do What Yah Mamma Told Ya! by Just More Productions and the Greatest Game on Earth by The Circus House also entertained the crowds.
Oldham Play Action Group set up "playzones" where children were invited to get stuck into arts and crafts.
Oldham owl mascots Ollie and Millie, the Curious Creatures, the Ice Green Man and Giant DJs and a tortoise from What the Tortoise Taught Us, were also among the performers meeting families on the day.
Eleanor Kay, from Winchester, who was at Festival Oldham with her son Theo, said: “The festival has been really good. It’s a great way to come and see Oldham if you’ve never been before.”
Melanie Chinn, from Chadderton, who was with her daughter Lexie, said: “The festival is good for Oldham as it brings more people in.
"I’ve lived here all my life and I definitely feel like the town is up and coming now.
“I like the outdoor theatre and the festival is getting more people involved. I think it’s a fantastic idea.
“There’s also been so much craft stuff on. We’ve been here all day.”
Lexie added that her highlight was watching the puppet shows.
Asenaeh Rafiq, seven, also from Chadderton, who was at the festival with her mum, said: “My favourite part of the festival was when I had my face painted.”
Arne Docker, who used to live in Royton and has now moved to Milnrow, was at the festival with her two children Molly, seven, and Merlin, four, and agreed the event was good for the town and said she also attends the Illuminate Oldham each year.
Molly and Merlin said their favourite part of the festival was seeing the giant tortoise.
Catherine McMahon, from Urban Canvas, said the street games had proved popular saying, “We’ve been really busy all day.”
She added that the team at Urban Canvas, who travel to different towns across the UK with their street games, “love” coming to Oldham.
“It’s a fabulous northern town. People are always very proactive and want to get involved. It’s been a wonderful festival.
“Events like this are a necessity because they bring people together and create a sense of play and ownership of a space.”
Pauline Lewis, from Chadderton, who was at the festival with her two grandsons Alfie, eight, and Lukas, nine, said she had enjoyed the day but commented that there was not enough publicity on the festival ahead of the event.
She said: “We didn’t really know about today at first. I came into town to go to the bank, and I saw the festival and thought ‘What’s going on here?’
“I was in town on Thursday, and I didn’t see any signs up or anything.”
Speaking ahead of the event, Cllr Peter Dean, cabinet member for communities and culture said: “We’ve managed to pull together a great line-up of performances that will provide a lively programme of accessible, family-friendly entertainment and activities designed to bring our community together and celebrate being part of the borough."
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