Groups of people sitting at wooden picnic tables at a festival – stalls are in the background
The Medway Food and Drink Festival will be held in Rochester Castle Gardens in September.
Published: Wednesday, 31st August 2022

Update on 14 September: The Medway Food and Drink Festival has been postponed.

Step back in time at the Medway Food and Drink Festival with free entry to Rochester Castle with event tickets.

The Medway Food and Drink Festival, taking place from Friday, 16 September until Sunday, 18 September, is being held at the picturesque Rochester Castle Gardens and will see authentic local, national and international cuisine, a host of refreshments and live entertainment all weekend.

Festivalgoers will have the opportunity to enter Rochester Castle keep and take in the views from the finest and tallest Norman castle in the country, with their day ticket.

Rochester Castle is an iconic historic landmark guarding an important crossing of the River Medway. Today it stands as a proud reminder of the history of Rochester, along with the cathedral and cobbled streets, and visitors will be able to bask in the rich history throughout their visit. Nearby, visitors can also enjoy other historical attractions including The Guildhall Museum and Eastgate House.

With only three weeks left until the festival is set to sizzle over a September weekend, tickets are currently discounted and will allow visitors to enter the castle for free and enjoy Medway’s heritage – castle entry will be valid until a week after the event. Residents can now get up to 25% off their day ticket by booking online. 

English Heritage members also have the opportunity to grab reduced tickets ahead of the festival weekend, with the added extra of using a separate entrance to the mouth-watering event.

The festival is suitable for visitors of all ages, including families even dogs (on leads) – and has lots going on to make a day of it. The child-friendly area is perfect for little ones with a magician, music and games available.

For adults the comedy and music nights will follow the daytime festival. The live entertainment will bring each day of the festival to a close. There are a limited number of tickets, so residents are encouraged to book in advance online.

Perfect day out for the whole family

Cllr Howard Doe, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Community Services, said: “The Medway Food and Drink Festival is set to be a great event full of food, drink and live entertainment, and will make for a fantastic day surrounded by the picturesque Rochester Castle. The festival launches a series of events in Medway this autumn, including The Festival of Chatham Reach and Medway Fun Palace, before our much-loved Christmas festivities get going later this year.

“The festival will have range of stalls catering for everyone, and Live Kitchen demonstrations to inspire residents to cook fresh and healthy meals. It’s great news that residents, visitors and English Heritage members can enjoy Medway’s heritage with free Rochester Castle entry with their ticket.

“The event is a perfect day out for the whole family, as part of our aspiration to become a child-friendly city, putting children and young people at the heart of everything we do. Thank you to Zoom Events for their hard work to bring this festival to life.”

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