Castleford celebrates town’s heritage with Roman Festival
Wednesday, May 07, 2025
Castleford will be going back in time to celebrate its heritage with its popular Roman Festival on Saturday 31 May 10am-4pm.
Visitors can discover the history beneath the streets of Castleford and take part in non-stop, free, family friendly activities.
“We’re really excited for the return of the Castleford Roman Festival. It’s been a great success in previous years, and I hope that residents and visitors will enjoy this unique event, celebrating our heritage by having fun and enjoying the free activities and entertainment.
“It was only a couple of months ago that more Roman coin moulds were discovered locally, which shows there’s still so much more to discover from this part of our history. So come along and learn all about it.”
Cllr Hannah Appleyard
Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Sport
This year’s event promises a roman-themed market, guided tours, street entertainment and much more.
Returning for 2025, the festival will feature a bespoke street theatre performance exploring a day in Lagentium, Castleford’s name in the Roman era. With three performances throughout the day, families will enjoy this highly interactive performance before getting a chance to meet the characters after the show.
Visitors can also unleash their creativity at the craft workshop, where people can collaborate to build a large Roman fresco wall painting.
There’ll also be an archaeological dig where budding archaeologists can hunt for treasures whilst learning more about archaeology and the tools used.
For those interested in learning more about the town’s Roman heritage, join the Roman centurion for a guided tour around the key historical points of Castleford.
Free face painting will be available in Carlton Lanes and don’t forget to visit the Library and Museum who will be welcoming a host of activities for families including crafts, jewellery making and the opportunity to handle a real object from the Roman era.
Find out more at https://expwake.co/RomanFest