Festival of fun is to return for sporty families
FAMILY sports festival Go Fest is returning to Greater Manchester.
The event, which showcases a wide range of activities for kids to try under expert tuition and coaching, will take place at Sportcity, Etihad Stadium, on April 28.
The festival, which is being backed by the Manchester Evening News, allows families to ‘have a go’ at more than 15 sports and dance classes.
The event launched in Manchester for the first time last year, since then hosting a winter festival – and now one for spring. There will also be a twoday event in June.
Feedback shows nearly 50% of children and 44% of adults who attended last year have since taken up a new sport.
Top coaches from England Netball, Manchester Mystics Basketball, Manchester Badminton Academy and Superstars Sport will be leading the sessions which last 45 minutes.
Olympic Badminton star Gail Emms is a GoFest ambassador.
She said: “It’s such a great event, the perfect chance to bring families together to play some sport and have some fun.
“I am an ambassador for the event and delighted to be part of it.”
This year, the international women’s rugby player, Maggie Alphonso, has been announced as an ambassador - and will take part in the summer festival on August 14.
Activities that are on the timetable include volleyball, squash and table tennis, alongside athletic events such as sprinting, long jump and high jump.
Ashton Fencing Club will return for 2018 - providing plastic fencing swords, allowing families to learn the combat sport safely.
For anyone who doesn’t like sport, dance and fitness classes will be taking place throughout the day. From salsa to street dance there will be a variety of classes to choose from.
New fitness craze, Poundfit, is also on the timetable, which combines both drumming and dancing in a high impact cardio class.
GoFest Founder, Paul Farris, said: “GoFest Spring is nearly upon us and we are expecting 150 to 200 people to enjoy the superb facilities at the Regional Athletics Arena and The National Squash Centre. We are very grateful to the brilliant support of Manchester council and the Manchester Evening News to make this all possible.”
Alongside the activities, there will be food and drink stalls selling a variety of refreshments.
Tickets cost £40 for a family of four (Adults £14, Children £11.50 ex vat & booking fee) and 15% of all sales will be donated to the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund. We have five family tickets to give away and to be in with a chance of winning one follow the link www. manchestereveningnews.co.uk/gofestmcr and fill in the form.
Visit www.gofest.co.uk to obtain more information.