Dunfermline festival: ‘a breath of fresh air’

Families get the chance to blow off some cobwebs and have fun in the park

Dunfermline’s public park is gearing up for another breath of fresh air.

This year’s Fresh Air Festival is back, with a promise to be bigger and better than before.

The free family event celebrates all the fun that can be had outdoors in the town’s historic public park beside the railway station.

The festival starts at noon on Saturday and runs until 4pm.

Organiser, Jim Stewart of Central Dunfermline Community Council, said: “We will be delighted to welcome along as many visitors as possible.”

Part town fete, sports day and music festival, there’s plenty for festival-goers to do.

On the sporting front there is the opportunity to take part in American football, skateboarding, tennis, cycling, kick boxing, football, assault course, rugby, horse riding and a number of outdoor fitness activities.

At a more sedate pace visitors can enjoy arts projects, classic cars, aeroplanes, fire engines, balloon sculptures, birds of prey, fire juggling, tai chi, nature displays, face painting, storytelling and a treasure hunt.

Mr Stewart said people can simply relax on a picnic rug with an ice cream and take in the live music from the bandstand, which will include traditional wind and pipe bands, a choir as well the best of the town’s indie music scene.

“Again this year we have teamed up with local gala day specialists, Inflatable Hire Scotland, to offer a bouncy safari adventure playground, assault course, archery and laser clay pigeon shooting.

“The Tesco community team and Nandos, with Barci the cockerel, will be joining us on the day, with lots of giveaways and offers. “

Mr Stewart added: “We will be testing out a unique art installation for the park, along with another amazing sculpture from Jonny Chainsaw.”

New for this year at the festival, which has grown year on year, will be taster sessions for walking football and mountaineering on the climbing wall.

Provost Jim Leishman will open the event and share some of the day’s activities with Dunfermline FC mascot Sammy the Tammy.

Mr Stewart said most events are free or available at a very low cost.

“We want as many people to come along as possible to enjoy the magnificent surroundings of the public park as well as the fantastic local entertainment we are proud to offer,” he said.

We want as many people to come along as possible to enjoy the magnificent surroundings of the public park. JIM STEWART

Above: visitors enjoying a day out in the sunshine at last year’s festival. Below: some people joined in with the tai chi to the music from the bandstand.