5 Reasons to Visit Staffordshire in August

August and the school summer holidays are here and there's nowhere better to enjoy some family time than Staffordshire.

Here are five great events to enjoy this month...

Four new rides at Waterworld

The awesome Waterworld is about to get even better with the arrival of four new rides!

From mid-August, you’ll be able to visit Tornado Alley, home of Hurricane, Cyclone, Stormchaser and Thunderbolt, which have come as part of a big refurbishment to celebrate the park’s 30^th birthday.

There will soon be a new adventure golf centre on-site, but in the meantime, escape to the tropics for a wet 'n' wild day out on classic flumes like Space Bowl, Black Hole and Nucleus.

For younger visitors, there's the interactive Jungle House and the Toddler Boat Slide.

Perfect if you need shelter from the elements, or an ideal way to cool off in a heatwave, Waterworld is open every day in August, from 10am to 5pm.

Journey into Space at Lichfield Cathedral

The magnificent Lichfield Cathedral is full of out of this world experiences this summer.

The centrepiece is sure to be The Great Exhibition, a stunning visual spectacle which reveals the universe, galaxies, Space, creation and light.

Put together by the amazing Luxmuralis, it will be a memorable night out, on a par with their annual Cathedral Illuminated shows, and last summer’s Imagine: Peace.

Luxmuralis have also created the One Small Step installation, transforming the floor of the cathedral into the lunar surface, so you can literally walk on the Moon in Lichfield this August!

The Great Exhibition opens on 8th August and runs between Thursday and Sunday throughout the month, plus Bank Holiday Monday. One Small Step is open now and on selected dates throughout the month.

Image: Peter Walker/Luxmuralis

Take on a Space challenge at the Adventure Farm

Continuing Staffordshire’s celebrations of the 50^th anniversary of the Moon Landing, the National Forest Adventure Farm has a unique attraction to lose yourself in.

The Moon Landing Maize Maze, open every day from 13^th July to 2^nd September, has 10 acres of space-themed puzzles, which you must solve to help the crew repair their spaceship and get safely back to Earth.

And there’s a mini maze for little legs too! Discover all the planets from our Solar System in the maze to complete your task.

Once you’ve beaten the maze, rise to the Space Rangers: Alien Rescue challenge. Travel to Planet Zygon and find the stolen alien eggs before bringing them home.

If all that were not enough, there’s still farm animals to meet, go-karts to race, fossils to dig up, and loads more!

Search for fairies in Weston Park’s Enchanted Glen

There’s also a chance to hunt for friendlier faces in The Enchanted Glen, an augmented reality woodland trail inhabited by fairies at Weston Park.

With the help of your smartphone, uncover the hidden secrets of Temple Wood, and see magical folk like Trixie the Pixie and Herbert the Broonie appear before your eyes.

Collect all the characters and discover their stories on The Enchanted Glen app.

After completing the trail, head for the adventure playground, where you’ll find cargo nets, climbing walls and one of the longest double zip wires in the country, or take a relaxing journey on the miniature railway.

And there’s plenty of indoor fun too, with craft rooms and displays of toys from the Weston Park archive.

World of Wedgwood hosts first Summer Festival

World of Wedgwood will be a hive of activity for its first Summer Festival on 10^th & 11^th August.

The free two-day event features more than 50 stalls specialising in the finest Staffordshire produce and artisan crafts, while there will be live music from local artists, children’s entertainment and street food.

Take a break from the action and explore the fascinating Wedgwood Museum, with the free Pottery Spotters Museum Trail for children, and make a unique souvenir to in the decorating studio or at the potter’s wheel.

See how the experts do it on a factory tour, with demonstrations of traditional skills, hunt for bargains in the Wedgwood Outlet Store, and indulge in an exquisite bite in the Wedgwood Tea Room.

Finish your visit off with a relaxing stroll in the idyllic Hem Heath Woods, or beside the tranquil Trent & Mersey Canal.

More things to do in Staffordshire this August

Meet your favourite children’s characters and enjoy live shows at Alton Towers and Drayton Manor Park.

Experience one of the best family festivals in the country, the Just So Festival (16th-19th), back for a 10th year with story-telling, live music and the inaugural Custard Catwalk.

Witness the cultural extravaganza of The Big Feast (23rd-25th) in Stoke-on-Trent’s city centre, with mesmerising juggling, bicycle-powered musicals and drop-in graffiti sessions.

And belt out classics like Land of Hope and Glory and Jerusalem, against the iconic backdrop of the Armed Forces Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum’s Summer Proms (3rd).

To find out more on these and other August events, visit the What’s On section for a full rundown.