Park Life Reads brings free family day back to Nuneaton

beehiveweb.co.uk editorial team 2026-08-27 15:51 3 min read

Crowd gathered in a park watching a street performer on a blue mat outdoors.

Families in Nuneaton can put 31 July 2027 in their diaries for the return of Park Life Reads. The free festival will take place at Riversley Park, bringing together activities centred on reading, learning and wellbeing.

The event is intended for families and is organised by Warwickshire County Council’s library service with Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council’s Museum Service. Planning has started following an increase in attendance at the 2026 festival.

31 July at Riversley Park: the confirmed details

Detail	Information
Event	Park Life Reads 2027
Date	31 July 2027
Venue	Riversley Park, Nuneaton
Entry	Free
Audience	Families

Park Life Reads has drawn families to Riversley Park for the past two years. Warwickshire County Council said attendance nearly doubled in 2026, giving organisers a larger audience to build on when preparing the next festival.

Funding is linked to Warwickshire’s status as a National Portfolio Organisation. This allocates Arts Council England funding to work promoting literacy in priority areas and has supported free events, activities and goods for local families, including lunches and ice creams.

Stories, art and workshops shaped earlier festivals

A full programme for the 2027 event has not yet been published. Previous Park Life Reads festivals have featured live illustration and storytelling, author workshops, arts and crafts, Bhangra sessions, face painting and henna art.

Other activities have included workshops inspired by Shakespeare, a bouncy castle and appearances from children’s characters Bluey and Eko the Sea Giant. The National Literacy Trust has also attended to give away books, while Nuneaton Borough Football Club took part in 2026 to encourage more local boys to read.

Those earlier attractions show the range of creative and active sessions associated with the festival, but they should not be treated as a confirmed line-up for 2027 until organisers publish the new programme.

Reading outreach remains central to the festival

Park Life Reads is designed to connect a family day in the park with the work of local libraries. Councillor Mike Bannister, Warwickshire County Council’s portfolio holder for Resources and Internal Affairs, said the free activities provide a boost for families experiencing pressure from the cost of living.

He also described the event as a way to strengthen links with local communities and encourage more residents to discover reading and learning. The involvement of authors, illustrators, library teams, the National Literacy Trust and community organisations has allowed previous festivals to approach literacy through performance, art, sport and book giveaways.

The 2027 timetable is still to come

The confirmed information currently covers the date, Riversley Park venue and free entry. A start and finish time, booking process, detailed transport guidance and accessibility arrangements have not yet been supplied.

Warwickshire County Council says planning is under way. Residents looking for the programme and remaining practical details are directed to future information from Warwickshire Libraries.

Source: Warwickshire County Council

Context & actions About this article

Source check Source trail

The confirmed date, venue and free-entry status were checked against Warwickshire County Council’s event announcement.

Checks

Confirmed that Park Life Reads is scheduled for 31 July 2027.
Confirmed Riversley Park in Nuneaton as the venue.
Confirmed that the event is free and intended for families.
Separated attractions from previous festivals from the programme still awaiting confirmati...

Warwickshire County Council Check wider coverage