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Dust off your deck chairs for Andover’s Step into Summer event!

Dust off your deck chairs for Andover’s Step into Summer event!

Things are hotting up in Andover as Step into Summer is set to return with a bucket-load of free family activities.

Test Valley Borough Council has partnered with InAndover from Andover BID to expand this year’s event, which will take place on Saturday 22 July 11am to 3pm.

With a seaside theme, Step into Summer will feature activities in the picturesque Town Mills Riverside Park as well as on Andover High Street.

Visitors can stop by Riverside Park to watch an amazing outdoor bubble show and listen to a swashbuckling tale with Amanda from Merry Go Round Storytelling. There will be free face painting for children and craft activities.

Garden games will be available in the park for all ages to play. These were created in 2022 by local volunteers of the Ugly Duckling project, run by Andover Mind. Picnic blankets and deck chairs will also be dotted around for those wishing to bring along a picnic and soak up the atmosphere. 

Just a short walk away from the park’s activities, there will be more to enjoy on Andover High Street. Families can listen to local bands perform on a stage in front of the Guildhall, pose for a photo in a seaside photo booth and children will have the chance to make sandcastles in a pop-up sandpit. There will also be some traditional games and craft activities to get stuck into on the day.

The event marks the start of the Council’s summer event programme, with lots of other events lined up over the next couple of months including an outdoor cycle-cinema experience, Picnic in the Park activities on Wednesday lunchtimes during August at Riverside Park and the annual Four Fun Fridays events in the High Street.

Leader of Test Valley Borough Council, Councillor Phil North, said: “Step into Summer was a great new addition to our summer events calendar last July, and I’m really pleased we are able to work with InAnodver to bring this back again with some new activities this year.

“There’s a lot happening in Andover town centre over the next few months and I hope to see lots of people coming into the town and making the most of the events that we’re running.” 

Step into summer, Saturday 22 July, 11am – 3pm, Riverside Park and High Street

Full details of all upcoming events can be found at www.visittestvalley.org/events