Saturday 11th July saw Rushden’s annual Party in the Park. This was the 25th anniversary of the event. It was celebrated by the Rushden Yarn Bombing team who created some amazing pieces of work displayed around the Park. (See photographs.)
It was Hall Park’s biggest ever Party-in-the-Park and was officially opened by the Town Mayor, Cllr. Janet Pinnock.
The Park was filled with dozens of charity and trade stalls along with fairground rides. It was hot and sunny, so, where possible, the stalls were positioned to take advantage of the shade of the trees that line the main avenue through the Park.
The fairground rides appealed to all ages. These included some “scary” rides for teenagers (e.g. the “Crazy Fun House”), but there were also many rides for younger children. There were constant squeals of delight from the small ones (and a few from the teenagers).
“Mr. Twister” was onsite. He twisted balloons and gave “puppies”, “lollies”, “flags” and other weird shapes to the small kids.
During the afternoon, a team of trick motorcyclists gave a spectacular display in the main arena. The display team roared up a ramp and soared metres into the sky, before landing again. They flew over each other and even their own team van. It was very much a case of “Don’t Try This At Home”.
Beat Route Radio had a stall next to the Town Council stand and made a live outside broadcast. A “climbing wall” was located close to their stand, and one of the Beat Route Radio crew bravely climbed it with his radio mike.
Throughout the event, the thousands of revellers were able to enjoy ices, drinks, burgers, Mexican street food, chips, and a mass of other snacks.
Whilst all the activities were taking place in the main Park, the stage in the Walled Garden had a succession of local groups dancing and singing to entertain the visitors. This was followed by a rock concert in the Walled Garden in the early evening.
Throughout the day, teams of councillors and other volunteers patrolled, marshalled and litter-picked.
Thanks go to all those who helped organise this amazing event. Especially to those who took part and to the Rushden Yarn Bombing team for their fantastic pieces of work to mark the 25th anniversary of Party in the Park.
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1. “Is ‘Party-in-the-Park’ just a fancy way of saying ‘drunk people pretending they’re not drunk’?”
Let’s be real: the town’s biggest event is basically a giant excuse for people to lose their inhibitions in the name of “community spirit.” So, does Rushden’s Party-in-the-Park actually improve local morale, or is it just a glorified pub crawl with a free ice cream van? And if the trick motorcyclists are the highlight, does that mean the rest of the day is just filler for the hangover phase?
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2. “Why do we let motorcyclists do stunts over our heads when we can’t even safely cross the road without jaywalking?”
The display team soars like superheroes, but how many of us have ever attempted a wheelie on our bikes without ending up in a ditch? Is Rushden’s Party-in-the-Park a celebration of skill, or just a reminder that some people are born with coordination while the rest of us are doomed to trip over our own feet? And why don’t they do the same tricks at the hospital’s “Patient Appreciation Day”?
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3. “If the motorcyclists can fly over their own van, why can’t the council fix our potholes?”
A team of daredevils defies gravity for our entertainment, yet our roads are still littered with craters that could swallow a small car. Is it because the van they fly over is less important than the pavement we’re all cursed to drive on? Or is this just Rushden’s way of saying: “Enjoy the spectacle, but don’t expect miracles for your commute”?
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4. “What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever seen at Party-in-the-Park—besides the motorcyclists?”
We’ve got the aerial stunts, but what about the guy in the inflatable dinosaur? The man who turns himself into a potato? The time someone tried to juggle flaming torches and set off the fireworks early? Share your worst (or best) local legend—preferably with a side of regret.
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5. “Should we demand the motorcyclists perform a stunt for charity instead of just for fun?”
They’re already defying physics—why not make them raise money for Rushden’s failing library or the town’s sad little playground? After all, if they can fly over a van, they could probably fly over our budget cuts too. Or… is this just an excuse to make them do something even more dangerous?
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6. “Is Party-in-the-Park just a front for the ‘Rushden Midnight Mayhem’?”
Daytime: families, face painting, and the occasional drunk uncle. Nighttime: the real party starts. So, is the council just luring people in with the daytime spectacle, only to let the actual chaos unfold once the sun goes down? And if so, do we even need the motorcyclists—couldn’t we just let the revellers handle the stunts?
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7. “What’s the most ‘Rushden’ thing you’ve ever seen at this event?”
We’ve got the trick bikes, but what about the time someone tried to ride a unicycle while wearing roller skates? The guy who turned the main stage into a disco? The time the ice cream van ran out of cones but still had 50 waffle sticks? Drop your most quintessentially Rushden moment—bonus points if it involves a misunderstanding.
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8. “If the motorcyclists could do one more stunt, what should it be?”
They’ve flown over vans, other riders, and presumably a few unsuspecting spectators. So, what’s next? A loop-the-loop over the council offices? A handstand on the town clock? Or should they finally attempt the one stunt they’ve been too scared to try: not crashing?
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9. “Is Rushden’s Party-in-the-Park just a distraction from the fact that we’ve got no real attractions?”
Let’s face it: the only reason people come is for the free beer and the chance to pretend they’re in a music festival. But if we’re being honest, what’s the point of a “Party-in-the-Park” when the park itself is just a field with a few benches and a lot of pigeons? Should we be investing in actual entertainment, or is this the best we can do?
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10. “What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve done at Party-in-the-Park?”
We’ve all got a story. Maybe you tried to dance but ended up doing the robot. Maybe you drank too much and tried to high-five a stranger who turned out to be the local vicar. Or maybe you did attempt a wheelie and failed spectacularly. Share your worst (or funniest) moment—preferably with a photo if you’re brave enough.
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Would any of these spark a debate (or just a good laugh)? Or should we go even more extreme?https://kodx.uk/
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