You’re invited to SeaFest, our annual festivities at St Bees beach on Saturday 25 July, from 10.00am to 4.00pm. 

Join us for an action-packed, family-friendly festival, celebrating our marine wildlife.  

Don’t miss our ever-popular sand sculpture competition which takes place from 1.00pm to 3.00pm, to coincide with low tide. 

Tickets for the sand sculpture competition can be booked in advance here. Pre-booking is advisable but you can also book on the day.  

There are great prizes for the sand sculpture competition, thanks to Lake District Wildlife Park, The Beacon Museum, Coniston Steamers, The Rum Story, Lakes Aquarium and Florence Mine. 

Have you heard of cyanotype printing? It’s a historical, photographic printing process that produces a cyan blue image, without a camera. This year, for the first time at SeaFest, you’ll be able to create your own beautiful cyanotype images of nature, using found objects on the beach, such as seaweed, sand and stones. 

We’re offering a series of cyanotype printing sessions, between 11.00am and 3.30pm. Pre-booking advisable, these sessions can be pre-booked here.

Other activities will take place throughout the day, including:

• Seagrass stall with crafts
• Marine crafts and games (including sea glass and shark tooth necklaces)
• Mobile rockpool
• VR headset marine experience: immerse yourself in 360-degree underwater videos of the Irish Sea with seals and dolphins swimming over seagrass
• Marine curiosities
• Guided rock pooling
• L’aal collective arts performances
• Guided tale-trail walk
• Surfers Against Sewage stall
• Sand mural by local artist Simon Wheatley

SeaFest is a free drop-in event, so you can turn up any time without booking, but booking for the sand sculpture and cyanotype sessions is required.

Toryn MacDonald, SeaFest organiser with Cumbria Wildlife Trust said:

“We’re really looking forward to welcoming families to this year’s SeaFest! As well as some familiar favourites, such as the sand sculpture competition (with some great prizes), guided walks and rock pooling, we’re pleased to offer some new activities, in particular the chance to create beautiful cyanotype artworks from natural objects found on the beach.

“SeaFest is a great way to explore the amazing wildlife we have right here on the Irish Sea coast. We’ll be joined by lots of marine experts, as well as talented artists and craftspeople – there’ll be something for everyone. Why not join us as we celebrate Cumbria’s wonderful coastal wildlife?”

SeaFest is one of many sea-themed events taking place during National Marine Weeks (25 July to 9 August). During Marine Weeks, Wildlife Trusts around the UK will highlight our beautiful underwater world and encourage support for marine wildlife. 

The theme of this year’s Marine Weeks is Incredible Journeys, celebrating the epic migrations undertaken by many marine species, from the European eel to the Arctic tern and bottlenose dolphin.

SeaFest is part of Irish Sea Day, a celebration of the wildlife and communities that live and work in and around the Irish Sea, from Wales and Scotland to the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland.