Blackwood Town Centre had a seaside-themed transformation on Saturday 28th June as over 5,500 visitors attended Blackwood Beach Party, making it the second busiest day of the year so far, with Blackwood Spring Fair, earlier on in the year recording the highest footfall.
With a warm and dry day setting the perfect scene, families, couples, and friends of all ages came out to enjoy the fun. The town centre saw nearly 2,000 more visitors than the previous Saturday, showcasing the success of the event in drawing crowds into Blackwood.
There was a wide variety of stalls offering food, drinks, crafts, and local information, giving visitors plenty to explore.
The giant beach seemed to be the highlight of the event for visitors, and it even featured donkey rides, a giant deckchair, and ice cream stalls, all helping to create a vibrant beach party atmosphere in the heart of the town. This year also saw the introduction of two new music areas, adding to the already popular Blackwood Town Council Performance Area, and providing entertainment on every corner.
The event also saw strong support from local businesses, many of which set up outdoor displays or took to the high street to promote their services. Businesses including Principality Building Society, Cancer Research Wales, Asda, McKenzie’s Café Bar and Maxime Cinema all made the most of the opportunity.
Hear what local businesses and traders thought of the beach party:
The Westgate Bar – “Good atmosphere and busy in town all day.”
Greyhound Rescue Wales – “It was a busy day, the event brought a lot of people into our shop and to the town, and the stalls were really good this year!”
McKenzie’s Café Bar – “The event went well, it was really busy, and we had a good day. The weather was good too and there was a good spread of attractions at the event which encouraged people along the whole of the high street.”
Kitchen Kings – “Really busy day, it was great to see lots of new faces as well as our regular customers, it’s great to see events happening in Blackwood town centre. Looking forward to the next event and well done to everyone involved!”
New Look – “Really busy day in the town, which is great for us, as events like these helps to bring people into town and boost our store’s weekly footfall figures, we had a positive day of sales too.”
Card Factory – “Fantastic event and one of the best that Blackwood has had, the weather was fantastic for a change, and it was nice to see the town so busy. We had some new customers visit our shop too which was good.”
My Little Pests – “It was a great day; I was so busy! So lovely seeing everyone in the town coming to support the event, and the weather was on our side for once!”
Wrenna – “Events like these are so important to local businesses and performers. As an independent musician, I appreciate the opportunity to perform throughout my local community and hope these events can continue to evolve and grow long into the future.”
John Hold, Clerk on behalf of Blackwood Town Council, said “Yet another very successful free event for the Town, with thousands on the High Street enjoying the various stalls, amusements, activities and entertainment on offer. All this, with some reasonable weather for a change, ensured a fun packed day for the local community and hopefully a boost for local businesses on the High Street. Thanks to all who attended, and we look forward to seeing you and others at our Winter Fair on Saturday 22nd November.”
These events are designed to increase footfall and raise the profile of local town centres, and the beach party certainly delivered. It was the second major event of the year for Blackwood, and the town will also be host to a Christmas market this Winter.
Our next event is the Bargoed Summer Music Festival on Saturday 12th July. The festival will feature multiple music areas and a line-up of talented musicians.
For details on upcoming events, visit www.visitcaerphilly.com or follow Visit Caerphilly on social media.
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