Park Life Reads returns free to Nuneaton in July

Families can mark Saturday 31 July 2027 for the return of Park Life Reads, a free festival at Riversley Park in Nuneaton. The community event is aimed at families and centres on literacy, learning and wellbeing.

Warwickshire County Council confirmed the date after attendance at the 2026 event nearly doubled. Its library service will organise the festival with Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council’s Museum Service.

31 July at Riversley Park

The confirmed practical details are:

• Event: Park Life Reads 2027
• Date: Saturday 31 July 2027
• Venue: Riversley Park, Nuneaton
• Entry: Free
• Audience: Families

The festival has occupied Riversley Park for the past two years, bringing reading activities together with creative workshops, entertainment and opportunities for families to spend the day in the park.

A family programme built around books and creativity

The complete programme for 2027 has not yet been published. Previous editions indicate the range of activities around which the event has been built, although individual attractions and guests should not be treated as confirmed for the coming festival.

Recent Park Life Reads programmes have included:

• Live illustration and storytelling sessions
• Author workshops and book giveaways
• Art and craft activities
• Bhangra and Shakespeare-inspired workshops
• Face painting and henna art
• A bouncy castle and massage stations

Bluey and Eko the Sea Giant have previously appeared as special guests, while the National Literacy Trust has attended to distribute books. Free lunches and ice creams have also been provided to local families through the event’s funding.

The mix places reading alongside art, movement and familiar children’s characters. That approach is intended to reach families who might not attend an event focused solely on books or libraries.

Attendance nearly doubled at the 2026 festival

The decision to begin planning another Park Life Reads follows two years of events at Riversley Park and a sharp increase in attendance during 2026. The council said the number of visitors nearly doubled that year, although it did not publish an exact attendance figure.

Funding is linked to Warwickshire’s status as a National Portfolio Organisation. That arrangement allocates Arts Council England funding to promote literacy in priority areas and has supported free events, activities, goods, lunches and ice creams.

Councillor Mike Bannister, Warwickshire County Council’s portfolio holder for Resources and Internal Affairs, said the free programme offered practical support to families facing cost-of-living pressure. He also described the event as a way to strengthen links with local communities and encourage more people to read and use libraries.

At the 2026 festival, Nuneaton Borough Football Club helped encourage local boys to engage with reading—one example given by Bannister of how organisers are trying to reach groups they particularly want to involve.

Planning has started, with practical details to follow

The council’s announcement confirms the date, location and free entry, but does not provide the 2027 running order. Start and finish times, booking arrangements, transport guidance and accessibility information have not yet been published.

Families interested in attending should therefore save the date while waiting for the full programme and arrival details. Warwickshire Libraries has been identified as the source for further information as planning for Park Life Reads 2027 progresses.

Source: Warwickshire County Council