Wales’ annual Woodfest Country Show aims to showcase traditional woodcraft and skills, with a mix of pole climbing, chainsaw carving, and axe throwing.
This year, the family friendly event will feature more than 100 attractions with a bumper ten arenas, including the Lumberjack Sports Arena, Extreme Biking Arena, Pole Climbing Arena, Chainsaw Carving Arena, Countryside Arena, Medieval Arena, and Big Top Arena. There will also be a Forestry Zone, a Craft Marquee, Food Court, and Bush Craft and Escape Room area to explore.
Timbersports are a popular part of the festival, with axe racing, sawing and tree climbing events. Festival highlights will include the British Lumberjack Championships, Carve Cymru, and Championship Pole Climbing. For the British Lumberjack Championships, entrants compete in chopping, sawing and tree climbing disciplines.
Carve Cymru brings together some of the finest chainsaw artists in the UK. The carvers usually arrive before the start of the festival to set up, choose their timber and start carving their main sculptures, so when the public arrive on Saturday the huge sculptures are often taking shape already.
The main sculptures will be carved over the weekend and be presented in the arena on the Sunday. In addition, there will be Speed Carving events taking place over the weekend, with three 30 minute events on the Saturday and a further two events on the Sunday.
Another competitive event taking place over the weekend will be the Pole Climb. Woodfest is one of the few show grounds in the UK that hosts pole climbing competitions and displays. Towering over the festival field will be two huge 80ft Douglas Fir poles, and this thrilling event will see competitors trying to climb a free-standing wooden pole in the fastest time. Using spiked boots, strops and safety harnesses, the top athletes can often scale the pole in around ten seconds.
In addition to the wood-themed events there will be a whole host of countryside and conservation displays and activities to enjoy. There will be extreme biking, horse logging, wildlife conservation, vintage tractor displays and demos, a sheep show, fly fishing, ferret racing, laser clay shooting, traditional carpentry and wood skills, a fun fair, a vintage tea room, and upcycling displays.
There will be marquees selling all types of food, drink and crafts, including local Welsh food producers and furniture makers. Expect local brewers, as well as cheese, chocolate, preserve and pie producers amongst other treats.
But the festival isn’t just about wood. For those who would like some musical entertainment, there is Woodfest Rocks on the Saturday, offering up an evening of live music. Camping is also available at the festival, for those who wish to make a weekend of it.
When: 12th – 14th July 2019
Where: Pen-y-cefn, Caerwys, North Wales CH7 5BP
£: Tickets cost £6.84 – £42.02
More info: www.woodfestcountryshow.co.uk
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