10 Family-friendly Q Festival events you won't want to miss this summer

*This is a collaborative post

Q Festival : Quench Your Thirst for Summer

This summer, Baltic Quays in Gateshead will host our region's very first Q Festival - an exciting new collaboration between Gateshead Council and Jesterval Comedy Festival and proudly supported by intu Eldon Square, intu Metrocentre and BBC Newcastle.

The 24 day extravaganza runs from Friday 14th July - Sunday 6th August and is a feast for everyone to enjoy. There are events just for grown-ups, family-friendly performances, chances to participate, fantastic local food, comedy, music, dance art and more...... The events are all low-cost or FREE too which is always a bonus. Take a peek at the gorgeous festival Spiegeltent where most events will take place.......

Before I jump into my guide for families, I am going to give something I'm involved with a quick plug. Have you ever wondered how you can earn money through blogging? (it's a fab career to fit around kids) Are you interested in learning how to build a Social Media presence or do you want to learn more about how blogging can help your business (or your sanity if you fancy starting a hobby blog)? I will be speaking at Blogging : Create Your Own Opportunities along with Rachel from Life in Geordie Land on Monday 17th July as part of the festival. If you fancy a grown-up, inspiring night out with a difference, I'd love to see you there. Tickets are available here. 

10 Unmissable Q Festival events for families to enjoy this summer

Screenage KIDS presents Dumbo

• Friday 28th July at 11am 
• Tickets are priced at £5.50 per child, £6.60 per adult or £22 for a family of 4 and available here.

Dumbo is one of our favourite movies and it's something we have watched with H, H and J from them being very young. It's still a favourite today (although it is one of those movies that I always cry at). Screenage KIDS promises to bring a screening of Dumbo to life with an immersive family-friendly experience. Expect the circus from the movie to come alive with face painting, fun activities and popcorn and hotdogs available to purchase on site. All ages are welcome.

All at Sea on Gateshead Quay

• Wednesday 2nd August at 10am, 11:30am, 1pm and 2:30pm
• Tickets are priced at £7 per adult and £6 per child and available here.

Join the Storyteller, Chris Bostock and Richard Stott for watery-themed tales and live music and you're taken on a journey through the seas. Suitable for ages 3-7 years.

Chalk presents : The Breakfast Club Coffee Rave

• Friday 5th August at 10:30am
• Tickets cost £7 per person and are available here.

I LOVE Chalk events - they really are the best of fun for both adults and kids and this one looks set to be the best yet. Expect a live DJ, 80s sensory projections and hula hooping all to a soundtrack of Bowie, The Smiths, OMD and more...... There will be the chance to craft your own giant mobile phone and look the part with your own shoulder pads too. If you fancy a trip down memory lane to the 80s and want to show your kids what real music sounds like, this is the event for you. All ages are welcome but there must be both adults and children in your party.

Game On

• Friday 5th August from 1pm - 4pm
• FREE drop-in event

Drop into the Spiegeltent, grab a board game and relax with friends old and new. There will be retro gaming booths too featuring classics such as Mario, Street Fighter and Sonic. Suitable for ages 13+

ARTventurers Colourful Carnival

• Tuesday 1st August at 9:45am, 11:15am, 1:15pm and 2:45pm
• Tickets cost £7 per person and are available here

Enjoy lots of carnival-inspired fun with award-winning ARTventurers. There will be painting, mask making, creative play, modelling, singing, dancing and more. Prepare to get messy! Morning sessions are for ages 6 months- 4 years and afternoon sessions are for ages 5-8 years. 

Street Circus - Trinity Square

• Saturday 29th July from 11:30am - 3pm
• FREE Family Fun

There will be lots of FREE family fun and performances during this pop up street circus at Trinity Square in Gateshead. No need to book, simply drop by.

Spiegel Storytime

• Friday 4th August at 10am
• Tickets cost £3 each and are available here

This special storytime session for under 5's will take place in the Spiegeltent. Expect much-loved stories, craft, colouring in and bubbles. £3 is a bargain I think! For ages 5 years and under plus their grown-ups. 

Culture Camp : Street Dancing and B-boy Moves

• 25th July from 9:30am - 4:30pm
• Tickets cost £25 and are available here

Work with Newcastle-based champion break dancers across the day with this special streetdance workshop. Learn and perfect dynamic moves and choreograph your own break dancing routine. Bring a packed lunch! Suitable for ages 8-14 years. 

Grass Roots Yoga

• 31st July at 1:15pm and 2:45pm
• Tickets cost £7 per person and are available here

Grass Roots Yoga will take you through some fun yoga games where you'll learn a variety of stretches, postures, back arches and balances. The first session is for ages 4-7 years and the second session is for ages 8-12 years. 

Meet Me at Spiegel

• Sunday 23rd July between 12noon-4pm
• FREE drop-in event

Drop into the Spiegeltent across the afternoon and take in the atmosphere. There will be ping pong, games and the chance to relax with a drink. 

Jesterval 2017

Doesn't the Q Festival line-up look fantastic? That's not all though......there's also Jesterval which runs alongside Q Festival. There are plenty of opportunities for the kids to get involved including Lee Kyle's Kid's Comedy Workshop and Howard Read's Lol-Tastic Yukfest for Kids and Well-trained adults. See here for the full line-up.

Food, Glorious Food

Expect the Baltic Quays to be transformed into a foodie paradise across the festival (daily from midday until late). You'll be able to enjoy some of the region's best ales and beers, bespoke cocktails and perfect coffees served up by the Q Festival's very own barista. Some of the region's finest food pop-ups will be in attendance including Scream for Pizza and my personal favourites - The Little Fishy. You don't need to be attending an event to visit the food and drink stalls and this area will be FREE to enter. There will be plenty outdoor seating to park your bum and enjoy some of the North East's finest food and drink. The line-up is still being updated  - keep an eye on updates here. 

Lucky enough to find a babysitter? Check out these Q Festival events for adults only

I think I need to book a 3 week long babysitter as so many of these adult-only Q Festival events appeal to me. Highlights for me include:

• Ceilidh on the Quay
• The Steampunk Gin Festival
• Glitz and Glamour : Getting Ready for a Party
• TedTalks Monday
• Screenage Kicks Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory for Grown-ups
• The Big 90s Pop Culture Quiz
• 80s Social Club
• Curruthers & Kent Summer Wine Fair
• Jesterval Comedy Events
• & more........

You can find out more and book tickets for the adult-only events here. 

Phew! What a line-up. There is so much going on and I highly recommend following the Q Festival on Facebook to keep up with it all. Tickets to all events are limited so if something grabs your attention, I'd recommend buying your tickets early to avoid disappointment. 

Let me know which Q Festival events you fancy.