Families from the North-east are being invited to a special event this weekend that will mark the re-opening of a city centre roof garden.
Bon Accord & St Nicholas will host a family fun day this Saturday (October 3) to celebrate the completion of enhancement work at the greenspace near the St Nicholas Centre.
Throughout the last four months, a number of improvements have been made to the space in a bid to make it more welcoming to visitors, thanks in large to support from project partners Aberdeen Inspired, Bon Accord & St Nicholas, Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeen Greenspace, Aberdeen Forward, Atkins and Creative Core.
Work on improved seating, lighting, flower provision and a brand new children’s play area is nearing completion within the garden in an effort to breathe new life into the greenspace.
To celebrate the project, a family fun day within the garden will be held from 10am to 3pm with a range of activities for all the family to enjoy.
Aberdeenshire-based Owl and Pussy Cat Centre will be heading along with their birds of prey, including stars of the Harry Potter films, owls Eral and Hedwig as well as Rocket the raccoon.
The Busy Beasties craft and activity group, along with Minion mascot, face painters and glitter tattooists, will also be providing a whole host of activities for children to take part in.
The Guarana Street Drummers will be bringing their own brand of samba beats, both performing at the event and holding workshops for children who are interested in getting involved with drumming. Cupcakes and light refreshments, as well as samples from Yo Sushi and Ed’s Easy Diner, will also be available for families to enjoy.
The new name for the recently installed play area will also be unveiled at the event after a competition was launched for primary schools to name the new addition to the garden. Nearly 50 names were suggested from schools across Aberdeen, with the winning moniker set to be marked with a special plaque.
Craig Stevenson, manager at Bon Accord & St Nicholas, said: “Saturday’s event will be the first proper chance that members of the public will be able to visit the enhanced roof garden and we’re looking forward to welcoming families and friends along on the day.
“We have a whole host of activities planned which will run from 10am until 3pm within the space; from meeting the stars of the Harry Potter films, Eral and Hedwig the owl, to samba drumming and craft activities with the Busy Beasties, it really is shaping up to be a fun-filled day with something for everyone to enjoy.
“The roof garden is a space that Aberdeen can and should be proud of and we want to continue to help play our part in harnessing this. This is just the first of what we hope are many ways of using the area a bit differently moving forward to make the most of what is a real asset to the city centre.”
The Bon Accord & St Nicholas family fun day will run from 10am to 3pm on Saturday, October 3 at the roof garden near the St Nicholas Centre. For more details, please visit www.bonaccordandstnicholas.com or the event’s dedicated Facebook page.