An Isle of Wight church recently hosted a Balloon Festival, with hundreds of families attending the event across the weekend to see the balloon-filled jungle inside.
For its third year, Tracy and Claire from Tracy’s Faces IW took two days to create the jungle within St John the Baptist Church in Northwood, with palm trees, waterfalls and swamps created by Tressa Lambert and Sarah Taylor.
The free community event, organised by fashioners of Northwood Parish Church, was set up to welcome the community into the church.
The church enjoyed seeing the look on the children’s faces as they entered, excited by the monkeys, scared of the crocodiles and lions and in awe of the elephants and insects.
This was brought to life by Georgina and her four live snakes, which families flocked to see and hold.
Even the Reverent Amanda Collinson, who is soon leaving to work alongside the Bishop of Portsmouth, was brave enough to handle a snake!
Tressa, Northwood Church events organiser, said: “We’ve had a wonderful weekend with hundreds of families attending the Islands only Balloon Festival.
“We are very grateful to all the people who took part and donated items to make it such a success.
“Children enjoyed a monkey hunt through the church, with everyone getting a prize.
“The tombola and homemade food were also a hit with the visitors. Supported by Sky High Inflatables, everyone had a chance to play on the bouncy castle for free.”
After the festival, the church donated the balloon sculptures to the children’s ward at St Mary’s Hospital, Northwood Primary School and Hunnyhill Primary School, with the remaining food donated to Northwood Primary’s larder and the Monkey Haven in Newport.
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