Chard Heritage, Arts, and Music Festival is set to celebrate culture in Chard with historical talks and family events. Learn more about the festival's lineup.
Chard Heritage, Arts, and Music Festival to open this week
28th July
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A festival celebrating culture in Chard is set to include historical discussions. Chard Heritage, Arts, and Music Festival is back for its third year, offering a range of events and activities for families.
The five-day festival begins at 11am on Tuesday, July 29, with an opportunity to explore the Somerset Building Trust's 9 Fore Street. Guests are invited to try their hand at printmaking inspired by the building's architecture. The afternoon will see a DIY printmaking workshop move to Boden Mill, also known as the Boden Centre.
This workshop will be led by Chard Community Hub and artist Luan MacDonald. Each evening at 7pm, Chard Museum will be hosting a series of talks on local history. David Knapman will speak on Tuesday, July 29 about brush making. On Wednesday, July 30, Sue Heward will talk about Grace Dare, also known as Margaret Bondfield, who exposed the poor working conditions of women in shops.
On Thursday, July 31, Liz Johnson-Idan will show the film '100 Men', about men from St Helena who came to England to help during the Second World War efforts. Thursday morning will see a family fun event hosted at Chard Reservoir, focusing on aviation-inspired activities to celebrate Chard's history. The festival will wrap up on Sunday, August 3, with an exploration of the Lace Riots that affected Chard. The guided 'Lace Riot Walk' will begin at 10.30am at the Guildhall, delving into the influence of the Lace Riots on Chard, its workers, and its industrial sector.
The walk will feature a tour of significant buildings that played a role in the strike. The festival offers visitors a chance to discover the contributions of people from Chard as well as wider communities. More information about Chard Heritage, Arts, and Music Festival events and other activities can be found on the Chard Museum's official website.
Published on 29 July 2025 by Ben Robinson
