ATFEST: A NEW CHESTER FESTIVAL

ATfest: a new Chester festival!

Chester’s first ever Active Travel Festival – ATfest – took place on Sunday 18 June at Castle Square. This pilot event was officially opened by Chester MP (and GAS ambassador) Samantha Dixon; Council Leader, Louise Gittins; Lord Mayor of Chester Sheila Little and Simon O’Brien, Liverpool City Region active travel commissioner and former Brookside actor.

Open to all

Aimed at all ages and abilities the purpose behind this free-entry festival was to encourage local residents to walk, cycle and wheel for those everyday short journeys to work, school or the shops.

A crowd of almost 1,000 experienced a range of interactive activities including Ginger e-scooters and e-bikes, as well as walking tours and as part of the fringe-festival, a schools poster competition and a preview film screening at Storyhouse.

Vanessa Bond, ATfest co-organiser and GAS ambassador said: “The creation of ATfest by CRAG and Chester Cycling Campaign has been a massive community effort with support from Cheshire West and Chester Council, Chester BID and the University of Chester to name a few. As a crowdfunded event I think it shows how engaged the community is with the message that we need to promote active and sustainable travel in Chester and put it front and centre in our local transport strategy”. 

For more information, visit www.atfest.uk