This weekend’s big park happenings are the Plazey festival at parc Elisabeth in Koekelberg and two days of puppet theatre at parc Meudon in Neder-over-Hembeek. But if you like your fun bouncing on giant inflatables, there’s a massive bouncy castle course for a charge at Tour & Taxis and more bouncy castles for free in Jette.
As the darker evenings draw in, there are more opportunities to spot some more mysterious night creatures for European bat night, with a day of activities in Auderghem and other walks in nearby Flemish communes.
This is the last edition of this column, thanks for reading over the past months.
Park fun
Plazey Festival, parc Elisabeth, Koekelberg – Saturday, 14:00-22:00, Sunday 10:00-22:00
Plazey is Koekelberg’s big summer festival in parc Elisabeth. Although there’s sport and free play spaces on both days, it’s Sunday when there’s the most on for kids, with a ninja playground, a giant marble circuit, and giant building blocks. There’s also an introduction to chess and workshops to paint henna on hands, print flowers, or make a bookmark or jewellery .
Find more information here.
Credit: Plazey festival
Insifon festival, parc Meudon, Neder-over-Hembeek – Saturday and Sunday, 14:00-18:30
Puppeteers will be putting on shows and showing how they do it over this two-day festival in northern Brussels. Some of the shows hark back to the classics, such as Don Qui Trotte, Oooh Teresina! and Judy & Punch.
There is also face-painting and are an all-day workshop to make a puppet out of foam, fabric, and marker to create the characters you might need for your own shows. Most of the performances in French although some don’t have any dialogue. There’s no charge for any of the events.
Find more information here.
Bouncy castles
Giga Jump, Tour & Taxis, avenue du Port 86C, 1000 Brussels – Every day, 14:00-19:00 except Sunday from 13:00-20:00
Giga Jump promises one of the world’s largest inflatable courses with 1,500 m² of inflatable action and another 800 m² "intergalactic portal" of inflatables to jump, slide or climb on. The first hour on a Sunday, from 13:00, is reserved for children between 3 and 7, and the last hour on a Saturday night, from 18:00, is set aside for children over the age of 7.
It costs €10.99 per person for one hour, €14.50 for two hours, or €16.99 for an all-day pass. Card payments aren’t possible.
Find more information here.
Giga jump. Credit: Tours & Taxis
Centre Omnisports, avenue du Comté de Jette 3, Jette – Saturday, 10:00-16:00
Jette’s sports centre is celebrating its tenth anniversary on the weekend of the commune’s annual market with demonstrations, a magician and balloon sculpture, climbing, ice-cream and smoothies, and of course bouncy castles for children up to the age of 12.
Find more information here.
Parcours gonflable XXL, parc de la Jeunesse, Jette – Sunday, 12:00-18:00
Jette offers more jumping on Sunday at the parc de la Jeunesse with an inflatable course as part of the commune’s festivities. There’s no entry fee for this one.
Find more information here.
Bat night
Bat festival, Rouge-Cloître, Auderghem – Sunday, 14:00-23:30
Bat night starts at 14:00 at the old Rouge-Cloître abbey with information stands, the opportunity to build a small bat house, and guided walks in the park, from 14:30 to 16:30, to show where bats live. Bat experts will be there to take your questions from 15:00 and there will also be storytelling walks in French.
The afternoon activities wrap up at 18:00 but the events pick up again when it gets dark, with documentaries on bats and nighttime walks, at 21:30 and 22:10 to see the bats as they come out. Most events are in French and Dutch and there is no charge and no need to reserve in advance.
Find more information here.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1200"]
Credit: Bruxelles Environnement[/caption]
Bat night walk, GC De Bosuil, Jezus-Eik, Overjise – Friday, 20:00-22:30.
A Dutch-speaking guide will take you into the Sonian forest near Overijse, explaining how bats live and where they can be found. They will then lead you into the woods with a bat detector to find some. Please reserve in advance as the group will be capped at 40. Children are welcome if they can manage the late hour. The guided tour costs €5 for adults and €2 for children under 12.
Find more information here.
Bat night parent-child creative workshop, De Kam, Wezembeek-Oppem – Saturday, 19:30-22:00
Parents and children can celebrate bat night by making a wooden bat house and taking a guided walk in the Wezembeek-Oppem area to hear and spot bats as they swoop on insects. The event is for Dutch speakers and costs €10.
Find more information here.
