Andover’s summer event season has come to a close, rounding off another fantastic programme of free family activities in the heart of the town centre.
This year marked a special milestone for Four Fun Fridays, which celebrated its 10th anniversary with a series of events themed around “Eco Explorers”. Families enjoyed professional street theatre, creative art workshops, playful installations and hands-on activities designed especially for primary-aged children.
The programme has been funded over the past decade through developers’ Section 106 contributions, helping to provide free access to high-quality cultural experiences on families’ doorsteps. Local organisations including Chapel Arts, Andover Trees United, Andover Museum, Andover Library, and Places Leisure once again brought their energy, expertise and interactive activities to the events, while also benefiting from increased visibility and new opportunities to connect with people.
Andover Trees United engaged with more than 200 families and individuals across the event series, with many signing up for activities at Harmony Woods and two new volunteers coming forward. Test Valley Borough Council’s Countryside and Environmental Services teams also joined the programme during several weeks, adding further opportunities for families to learn, explore and take part.
Three weeks of glorious sunshine helped create a lively summer atmosphere, before forecast rain in week four saw activities move indoors to The Lights and the Chantry Centre. A huge thank you goes to the teams at both venues for accommodating the programme at short notice and helping to ensure the fun could continue, whatever the weather.
Families once again warmly welcomed the opportunity to enjoy free activities locally, with many staying for the whole day to watch performances, take part in workshops and picnic in the pop-up “picnic and play” seating area. During the school holidays, when costs can be especially challenging for families, feedback continued to show how valued these events are within the community.
The events also supported town centre vibrancy and helped bring additional business to the High Street. Footfall data showed a 25% uplift compared with Fridays in July, alongside a 41% uplift in stays of two hours or more compared with the average.
A heartfelt thank you goes to all the performers, artists, organisations, venue teams, council teams, volunteers, businesses and families who helped make this year’s summer events such a success. Their enthusiasm, flexibility and support helped create four weeks of memorable experiences for local children and families during the summer break.
