The Long Road Festival – a fabulous fusion of good time country music , sensational food , great entertainment and community spirit! The best family festival we have been to and one I would happily return to year on year with or without the kids.
Spanning from 24-27th August The Long Road Festival turned Stanford Hall in Leicestershire into a Nashville- inspired haven for music lovers and families. Imagine fun filled days where the kids are entertained with  American camp style games and crafting  and evenings are spent under the stars, around open camp fires , listening to country music and drinking moonshine cocktails.
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With headline acts from the Country Music Scene this sell out festival attracted an audience of rhinestone loving, Stetson wearing, toe tapping enthusiasts who were some of friendliest festival goers we have come across.
Beyond the music, we thoroughly enjoyed immersing ourselves into the world of country culture. The children’s entertainment was the best we have experienced at a festival- and was all free- including the crafting. It was full on, jam packed, hours of fun , lead by a team who genuinely seemed to love their job. No hula hooping or juggling in sight. We did everything from, tug of war, rodeo, Country Olympic games, crafting, Country Crufts, obstacle courses and many more daft games that had our 11 year old hooked on the Lil Possum Area. This authentic American kids camp area appealed to kids of all ages from toddlers to 50 plus.
Other day time activities included wild swimming, American vintage car and bike shows, hot dog and hot wings eating competitions, marshmallow roasting, archery, frisbee games , skittles, welly wanging and tree house climbing- to name but a few! For adults, the ambience was relaxed and friendly. The food and drink was amazing – standout for us was the slow cooked wood fired ribs ( which sold out on the first night) .The Cajun cuisine and moonshine cocktails were also firm festival favourites recommended by many! The price of food and drink was typical of a festival ranging from £2-£4 for soft drinks and coffees, £5 for ice cream and between £8-13 for meals. BBQ’s and stoves were permitted on site and we took plenty of snacks and drinks and made our own breakfast every morning.
From a practical point of view The Long Road Festival also ticked a lot of family friendly boxes . We camped at the Pitch and Park campsite. For families and dogs this area is a godsend. The ability to park and pitch you tent next to the car saves hours. No unloading and loading issues, carrying heavy tents and kit backwards and forward from the car park to the campsite. 100% recommend families stay on this campsite. Towards the back of the site, pitch and park was quiet clean and convenient- only a short walk to the main site where there were plenty of water stations , shaded and covered areas ( to protect from rain and sun) and clean toilets. The site was flat making it easily accessible for pushchairs and wheelchair users, small enough to be easily navigated without fear of getting lost, but large enough to create atmosphere on the main stages. My favourite areas were the more chilled out stages at the Front Porch and Buddys Good time Bar, hidden away in the woods.
We all loved our time at TLR festival , and would highly recommend this as a family friendly festival .The Long Road Festival is set to return next summer with 23-25th August dates announced.
Karen Beddow founded Mini Travellers in 2014 while doing what she loves most...going on holiday!
Mini Travellers is for parents looking for holiday ideas, destination reviews, days out and things to do with the kids. We also have family travel tips, activity ideas and all other things family holiday related. Take a look at some of our latest reviews for holidays and day trips in the UK.