The Sheffield Outdoor City Weekender
Gemma Gibb, Associate Editor
This family-friendly weekend festival celebrating the incredible location of Sheffield and its wild, outdoor landscapes, is the perfect antidote to those suffering from cabin-fever, and inspiration for adventures to be had together in the warmer months ahead.
Focused around several action-packed headline events (Sheffield Adventure Film Festival, Rab Climbing Works International Festival, Howard Street Dual inner-city mountain bike slalom and Magnificent Seven bike race up seven of Sheffield’s steepest hills), there are more indoor and outdoor family activities to stretch both body and mind than you can pack into your four-season backpacks.
The Young Adventurer films as part of the mega Sheffield Adventure Film Festival feature inspirational tales from those diving, sking, freerunning, skating, cycling, kayaking, slacklining and highlining in awe-inspiring locations around the world. Don’t miss Scratch The Surface featuring 12 female skateboarders from across the UK and Gnarly In Pink a posse of skateboarding six year olds who are bossing it. Parkour lovers can have their minds boggled with Freezerunning where freerunner Jason Paul adventures around an icy landscape, Bright Cities – Girl Parkour featuring the most talented upcoming female athletes and Jason Paul’s Freerunning Illusions.
Housed in the Travelling Cinema outside the station, you can also dip in and out with the Adventure Bites series showing the best of the Young Adventurer films on a loop. Head to the nearby Workstation for free climbing, slacklining and caving galore.
Make some noise for the the brave riders in the Howard Street Dual on Saturday 10th between 4 and 7pm, where two riders at a time go ahead to head down a knuckle-biting course lined with spectators with cow bells, noisemakers and a whole lot of heckling. The route is from Howard Street to the station and takes in steps, grassy and gritty slopes and custom-made wooden features as well as boring old traditional surfaces such as roads.
On Sunday 11th get involved in the family day of the Big Running Weekend with a special talk for junior runners and several family-led runs through Sheffield’s beautiful woods.
We love that Sheffield’s Outdoor City Weekender is an inspirational and exhilarating blend of culture and adventure that will leave you looking at the possibilities of exploring (and having a lot of fun) in the outdoors in a whole new light.
We’re off to pack our kitbags and multifunctional headwear immediately.
