Live music, nature walks, yoga classes and children’s crafts can all be enjoyed by residents at a community festival at Smestow Valley Local Nature Reserve this month.

The Smestow Valley Midsummer Festival takes place on Saturday 21 June, and has been organised by Wildside Activity Centre, in partnership with City of Wolverhampton Council and Friends of Smestow Valley.

Entertainment will include live music from local band Just in Time, guided walks from Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust, scavenger and bug hunts around the valley site, a mindfulness yoga experience, children’s craft activities and refreshments at the reserve’s Cupcake Lane café.

There will also be a range of stalls with representatives from the Black Country Geopark, Friends of Smestow Valley, local businesses Nature Makers and Peace of Mindfulness, Wightwick Manor, Canal & River Trust and Wildside Activity Centre.

The day will run from 10am to 3pm and will take place along the track by the Cupcake Lane café.

Residents are welcome to come along and enjoy the festival as well as find out more about the work currently being done at the site under the ongoing project to Explore, Enhance, Protect and Promote Smestow Valley.

Last year, City of Wolverhampton Council, together with partner Canal & River Trust and Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust, secured funding of £217,000 from The Heritage Lottery Fund to develop plans for a full application of around £2 million to be submitted in 2026.

If the application for this delivery phase is successful, renovation of the much loved Meccano bridge is planned, along with other structures linked to the disused railway line which forms the main path through Smestow Valley.

During the initial development phase, the council has worked with partners Canal & River Trust and Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust as well as the Wildside Activity Centre, Friends of Smestow Valley and Waterside Care.

This partnership approach has seen a wide range of activity at the site, including improvements to the canal towpath, planting wildflower meadows, restoring historic ponds and hedges and planting native flowers including bluebells and wild garlic.

These activities, which were funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, helped develop a range of volunteering opportunities as well as an approach to volunteering for the future.

Over time, the whole project at Smestow Valley aims to increase engagement through school visits, heritage focused volunteering opportunities, biodiversity enhancements, community events, artwork and interpretation as well as online information.

Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, cabinet member for resident services at City of Wolverhampton Council, said: “The Midsummer Festival promises to be a lot of fun for the whole family with a wide range of activities, attractions and stalls on offer.

“Smestow Valley is a real hidden gem in the city, and we’re delighted to be working with such a wide range of committed partners and local people under the Explore, Enhance, Protect and Promote project to create a green space that we can all be proud of.

“I’d encourage everyone to come and find out more about the site and enjoy a day with family and friends in beautiful surroundings. We want to welcome our residents along to the Smestow Valley Midsummer Festival – come and make the most of the longest day of the year!”

Parking is limited, so visitors are welcome to come by foot, bike, bus or, as the valley is by the canal, by boat.

To find out about the latest activities at the valley and how to get involved visit the Facebook page or sign up to the newsletter.