For places to visit and things to do during the Easter school holidays and Easter Bank Holiday weekend (April 15-18), MWT Cymru has put together a round-up of events in Mid Wales to put a spring in your step.
Easter Driving Trail and Dam Open Days at Elan Valley, Near Rhayader, Powys
Easter Driving Trail: April 2-25
Get ‘egg-cited’ for a fun quiz around the Elan Valley this Easter. Answer the ten questions as you drive around the estate and return to the Visitor Centre to receive your prize! Quiz sheets will be available to buy from the information desk at the Visitor Centre (£5 per car) from 9am – 3pm daily. The quiz takes approximately two hours to complete.
Dam Open Days: April 12, 14, 19 and 21.
Join rangers at one of the big Dam Open Days – an exclusive chance to venture into Pen y Garreg Dam and up to the central tower. Walk through the dam at your own pace, before emerging onto the central platform where you’ll enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the dam wall – and learn about the feat of engineering that made Elan.
The details: 10.00 – 12.00 and 14.00 – 16.00. There are 30 places per session and each session lasts half an hour. £5/adult, £1/child, with half of all proceeds going to WaterAid. Well behaved dogs on leads welcome. Booking essential online here: https://eola.co/w/939/activities/guided-tour-dam-open-day
For more information about events taking place at Elan Valley, email [email protected]
Easter Egg Hunt at Bala Lake Railway
April 15-18
Join in the fun at Bala Lake Railway this Easter. Can you find all the Easter eggs that White Rabbit has hidden along the line and at the station and solve the puzzle?
There’s a chocolatey prize for every child, and you might even get to meet the White Rabbit. The Easter Egg Hunt is included free with your normal train ticket. Great fun and prizes for the kids. Trains depart from Llanuwchllyn at 11:00, 12:50, 14:30 & 16:05.
Easter Adventures in Nature at Powis Castle & Garden (National Trust), Welshpool, Powys
Easter Trail: April 13-24, between 10am and 3pm, with last entry at 3pm. £3 per child.
At the start of your Easter adventures in nature trail, pick up your activity pack from the welcome cabin to find the bespoke trail you’re going to follow. Find and complete the 10 nature-inspired activities that are hiding along the way. Watch the spring weather, tune in to the birds and find the frogspawn are just some of the activities you can experience at Powis Castle and Garden. Finish the trail and collect your Rainforest Alliance chocolate egg or an allergen-free alternative at the end.
Nature Detectives Family Day at the Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth
April 21, 10.30am-3.3pm
A fun-packed adventure on the wild side for the whole family. Have you ever wondered what creepy crawlies call your garden home or what furry friends scurry outside your window at night? CAT’s expert team are on hand for an exciting day of wildlife exploring.
Price: adult – £35, child – £20. Suitable for children aged 6 years and up. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Easter Egg Hunt at Llanerchaeron (National Trust), near Aberaeron, Ceredigion
April 13-18 10am – 4pm.
Discover Llanerchaeron’s family-friendly trail this Easter, with fun activities for you to do along the way. With walled gardens, an ornamental lake, parkland and farmyard all on this original self-sufficient estate, it is the perfect place to enjoy wild activities and get close to nature during spring. Pick up your trail from reception and spot the signs of spring to earn your chocolate reward. This event is free, but normal admission charges apply.
Booking not required.
Spiritual Pilgrimage at Talyllyn Railway, Tywyn
Friday, April 15
The Right Rev Barry Morgan, Archbishop Emeritus of Wales will be leading a spiritual pilgrimage to enhance your understanding on the journey that Jesus Christ made on his way to the Cross. Biblical readings and prayers will be read at each station stop along the railway; these readings will follow the traditional pattern for Stations of the Cross.
The event will take place on Good Friday, starting at Tywyn Wharf Station at 4.30pm, followed by a Steam Train journey which will return by 9.00pm. Tea and coffee will be available at Quarryman’s Caban at Abergynolwyn station.
Donations would be gratefully received in aid of a charity of the Archbishop Emeritus of Wales’ choice. Ticket Prices: Adults (£ 5.00), Child (£ 2.50)
The Dragon Egg Hunt at Silver Mountain Experience, Ponterwyd, Near Aberystwyth
April 9-24. Bookings from 10.15am – 4pm.
The Silver Mountain Experience’s resident Dragon, Grotty, has hidden her eggs across the site for safe keeping while they wait to hatch. Go on the hunt for mysterious Dragon eggs and see if you can spot them. Intrepid explorers that find them all will win themselves a tasty reward. Alongside The Dragon Egg Hunt, you can enjoy 3 guided tours, as well as the brand-new play area. Pre-book your tickets online to guarantee entry. The Dragon Egg Hunt is included within the entry ticket.
Wildlife Explorer Session at RSPB Ynys-Hir Nature Reserve, near Machynlleth
April 20, 1.30pm – 3pm.
Discover the bugs and beasts that call Ynys-hir home. Various activities that will get you close to nature and the wildlife that live there, from pond dipping to bug hunts. These sessions are suitable for children aged 4-11 years. All children to be accompanied by an adult. £5.50.
Spring Fair, outside Oriel Davies Gallery, Newtown
April 24, 12pm – 4pm
Open Newtown and Oriel Davies Gallery are organising a Spring Fair for the whole community with workshops, stalls, music, storytelling and more.
Free entry. Bring a picnic!
Tree dressing and procession with storyteller Millie Jackdaw; Plant stalls, local cut flowers, plant a seed, decorate a pot; Floral head dress workshop with Layla Robinson; Pentre Farm animals; Drawing workshop with wildlife artist Chris Wallbank; Storytelling with Jo Jo Vagabondi; Plant identification walk with park ranger Paul Reynolds; Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust; Hafren Community Choir workshop and performance; Ffonic Community Band; Creative Stuff Newtown mobile disco playing springtime sounds; Cambrian Coffee; Home-made cakes and pastries.
Wonderwool Wales, Royal Welsh Showground, Llanelwedd, Builth Wells
April 23-24, £12-£22
Wonderwool Wales is the largest wool and natural fibre festival in Wales, and one of the largest in the UK. It is held annually on the last weekend in April at the Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells, Powys.
The festival is the go-to diary date for fibre fans, craft-lovers and makers, the vibrant, annual wool and natural fibre showcase. With over 220 exhibitors showcasing hand dyed yarns, fleece, equipment for spinning, weaving, knitting, crochet, felting, dyeing & sewing, along with beautiful designer made finished products, it is the best destination for those interested in these crafts.
