Magical Winter Gathering lights up Longton’s Queen’s Park

A spectacular free event featuring music, giant puppets, a lantern parade and a myth-inspired fire show lit up a Stoke-on-Trent park over the weekend.

Urban Wilderness CIC hosted its second Winter Gathering on Saturday, December 13, in Longton’s Queen’s Park. The free family-friendly event, inspired by Greek mythology, is funded by Stoke-on-Trent City Council through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and supported by Queen’s Park Partnership.

Over 5,000 visitors were treated to illuminated walkways, performances, a community lantern parade and a dramatic fire finale.

The lantern parade featured contributions from Year 8 students at Florence MacWilliams Academy, St John’s Heron Cross Cubs, art foundation students at Stoke-on-Trent College, North Staffordshire Young Carers, and members of Urban Wilderness’s Teen Squad, Art Club and Creative Volunteers.

Giant light-up puppets, created during a two-week masterclass with Thingumajig Theatre and local artists in summer 2025, brought the myth of the Minotaur to life. The puppets, including a minotaur and an eagle, were inspired by stone carvings on Longton Town Hall.

Isla Telford, co-director of Urban Wilderness CIC, said: “In our retelling of this Greek myth, Ariadne befriends the Minotaur, reclaims her destiny and leads the Minotaur out of the labyrinth and into the light. It’s a metaphor for holding true to what is good and right in troubled times.”

The finale featured the premiere of The Prometheans, a narrative fire show from North Staffordshire circus performers Circus in a Box, which saw Eve Travis and Ross Ankers blend movement, fire tricks and storytelling as flame-wielding folk heroes in a world of legend and fable.

The event also included performances from the Penkhull Mystery Singers and Domesday Morris, with music during the parade and finale from KiLNE, a 20-strong Stoke-on-Trent-based nu-marching band led by Danny Shaw.

Jenny Harper, co-director of Urban Wilderness CIC, said: “There has been such an incredible buzz around the creation of this event for months in Longton. We’ve had record numbers of volunteers at our sessions and engaged with multiple new partners. The sense of what is possible in Longton has really shifted and it’s a joy to be a part of that.”

Isla Telford added: “The park is a gorgeous asset to the city and is well used by the local community. It’s a treat to be able to transform it at night with lights, fire, music and magic. We hope that families enjoyed making memories together at this free event, which was a great way to end Stoke-on-Trent’s centenary year.”

Cllr Lillian Dodd, chair of Queen’s Park Partnership, said: “The Queen’s Park Partnership were pleased and excited to welcome this event in our park. It’s been a really exciting event for all the family and we enjoyed welcoming visitors to enjoy the fun.”

For more information, visit www.urbanwildernesscic.com/winter-gathering.

Article courtesy of Hannah Hiles 

Images credit: Urban Wilderness CIC / Andrew Billington (photographer).