Balloon jungle appears at St John’s Northwood for festival
THE Isle of Wight recently hosted its only Balloon Festival at St John’s Church in Northwood. Over the course of the weekend, hundreds of families attended the event, creating a lively atmosphere.
For the third year in a row, Tracy and Claire from TracysfacesIW spent two full days constructing a balloon-filled jungle within the church. Their work was supplemented by additional balloon palm trees, waterfalls, and swamps created by Sarah Taylor and Tressa Lambert (pictured above with a balloon crocodile).
The idea for the Balloon Festival came to organiser Tressa Lambert whilst on holiday in Cumbria and seeing a church there put on a display of bible stories made with balloons. She connected with Island balloon modellers Clare and Tracey and put on the first, church-themed, balloon festival a few years ago. The second festival had a nautical theme. The pandemic and illness delayed this third festival, but “this year we came back even bigger,” says Tressa.
The event, free to the community, was organised by Tressa and other worshippers of Northwood Parish Church. The aim was to welcome the community into the church and provide a unique experience for all attendees, particularly the children. The sight of balloon monkeys, crocodiles, lions, elephants, and insects elicited various reactions from the young attendees, ranging from excitement to awe.
The balloon jungle was complemented by the presence of live snakes, brought in by a local herpetologist named Georgina. Families were drawn to the opportunity to see and hold these creatures. Even the Rev Amanda Collinson, who is soon to leave for the position of Bishop’s Chaplain alongside the Bishop of Portsmouth, handled a snake.
The event was made possible by the contributions of many individuals, from those who participated in the setup to those who donated items. Activities such as a monkey hunt through the church, a tombola, and home-made food were available for attendees to enjoy. A free bouncy castle was also provided for the children.
Tressa said, “We want to show people that our small, twelfth-century church is open to all. We have already started planning out next one in a couple of years and hope that we can continue to do so in the future.”
After the festival, balloon sculptures were donated to the children’s ward at St Mary’s Hospital, Northwood Primary School, and Hunnyhill Primary School. Leftover food was given to Northwood Primary School’s larder and the Monkey Haven.
A short video of the event is available on the Facebook page of St John the Baptist, Northwood Parish Church, for those interested in getting a glimpse of the festival.