This week, in the midst of a flurry of last minute frantic Christmas preparations, an oddity has appeared in Peterborough.
Bah Humbug! Fest is a welcome break from all things festive. With not a Christmas tree or even a mince pie in sight, families are invited to spend some time having (non festive) fun together. We were lucky enough to be invited to attend the opening and so I thought it might be helpful to offer a beginners guide to all thing Bah Humbug!
Here’s what you need to know
What is Bah Humbug! Fest?
Bah Humbug! Fest is comprised of over 40 fairground rides and attractions. Once your admission is paid the theory is that you can enjoy your 4 hour allotted slot – either 12 until 4pm or 5 until 9pm depending on your preference with very little if any additional expenditure. No festive decorations or songs will be around to irritate your senses here – if you recoil at the thought of hearing THAT Slade song one more time then this is the place for you!
But what is there to do?
I was a bit dubious about the poster. “Over 40 rides and attractions” was the claim and I wondered what the quality of those rides might be considering that they are all free and unlimited upon entry. So. Here is a list of just some of them:
For the younger guests
- Thomas The Tank Engine ride
- Runaway Train
- The Fun House
- Frozen Swing
- Helter Skelter
- Mini Miami
- Flying Planes
- Teacups
- Wild West Coaster
- Go-Gator
- Mini Wheel
For the older ones
- Dodgems
- Freak Out
- Superbowl
- Waltzer
- Miami
- Extreme
- Ghost Train
- Crazy Bulls
- Haunted House
- Twist
A well as the fairground rides, Bah Humbug! Fest also offers a whole host of inflatables including some Wipeout style big balls! Moose spent ages playing on the inflatable slides and also the Toxic Labyrinth – think mini inflatable assault course. I don’t THINK it was actually toxic…
What age group would this suit?
I think 4 to 14 would be a safe bet here. There is plenty to keep this age range occupied at Bah Humbug! Fest. The younger ones spent ages playing on the inflatables. Especially the inflatable slides! It was great that the smaller rides were indoors too which offered a bit of protection against the colder weather for the younger children. Outside, the larger rides appealed to the older ones – so much so that Bess doesn’t appear in many of my pics. She disappeared to try out those bigger rides while I enjoyed the smaller ones with Moose.
What can I eat?
I always feel a bit apprehensive about the costs of refreshments at this kind of an event. This Mum needs her coffee – especially when I am in charge of some very excited small people. A cup of tea or coffee here will set you back £2. There is also a covered seating area if you get the chance to use it.
There were a few food vendors selling burgers and jacket potatoes which were priced at around £5 each. Pretty much what you would expect to pay I think. Donuts were 4 for £3.
There is no signage to suggest that picnics are unwelcome but it was really only toward the end of our session that the children seemed to feel like they might want to eat something. They were having too much fun to care!
How much will it cost me?
Individual tickets priced £20 per person
Family of 4 – reduced ticket price £70
Spectator only tickets priced £6
Under 3s go free
Tickets give unlimited access to a four-hour session at Bah Humbug! Fest
There are two sessions a day: 12-4pm and 5-9pm
What’s the parking situation?
It’s free and there is lots of it! Peterborough arena has 22,000 spaces. There is also a half hourly bus service nearby for non-drivers.
Is it really worth it?
£20 per ticket could be thought of as quite steep. Especially so close to Christmas. However, rides at a fairground can be anywhere between £2 and £5 per ride. That soon adds up!
Based on a cheap night at the travelling fair where rides are £2 a go, you would need to ride 10 times to get your moneys worth. My lot went on 10 rides in the first hour easily.
If your child isn’t really into fairgrounds then I would say it would be one to avoid. Maybe the panto instead? But if like mine, your kids love rides then Bah Humbug! Fest will be a massive hit!
