The BIG Welcome

Grab your friends and family and head down to Northern Roots for The BIG Welcome – a free family friendly day of fun, food, play, plants, music and more set within our beautiful new green space here in the heart of Oldham.  

This moment has been a long time in the making and we can’t wait to celebrate with you. Opening our Welcome Building for the first time is a major milestone for us. Northern Roots is a space to explore, learn, relax, and connect. Everyone is welcome. The day will be a beautiful taster of things to come and the start of a new adventure. Over time, with your support, we will grow with and for you – our community. 

So what can you expect on the day…

Our site will come alive with a collection of roaming performers throughout the afternoon. Bump into a bubble artist from Paris Bubbles. Shake hands with a stilt walker or unicyclist from Storm in a Teacup. The festival vibes continue with colourful face painting from Northern Glow and Henna handpainting from Oldham based artist Maryam. 

Explore our new Play Area that sits right in front of our Welcome Building. Featuring waterplay, a sand pit, climbing frames and a few recognisable animals.  

The soundtrack for the afternoon will be provided by a collection of talented musicians. We’ll have an acoustic set from master kora player Jali Nyonkoling Kuyateh. DJ Mayeva will provide laid back beats from India to Morocco. And steelpan group Jamsalana will bring the energy with their Jamaican and Trinidadian folk with the odd pop tune thrown in! 

Explore Snipe Clough Farm, our new four acre working urban farm, situated directly in front of our Welcome Building. Chat to our friendly team of growers about the fruit and veg in our beds and learn how we’re growing a healthy future for people, place and planet. Get hands on with our Urban Farm Volunteers making wildflower seed bombs. Meet our community of on site businesses, including Hive5 Manchester, Common Cloth, Yggdrasil Forge and Manchester Fruit Tree Coop.

Our Natural Health Service team will be at Brook Mills Gardens for free mindfulness activities for all ages. Plant a seed with a positive intention and take it home to watch it grow. Or take a moment to disconnect from the day-to-day, reconnect with nature and try some peaceful meditation.

Want to get creative? We invite you make your own nature-inspired medallion and add it to the Made by Many collective artwork. Made by Many celebrates the opening of Northern Roots and the people and communities at our heart.

And alongside all this free activity, we’ll have lots of tasty food for sale. Expect a full service in our brand new cafe led by award-winning chef Mary Ellen McTague – everything from meze plates and seasonal salad to cakes and pastries, using fresh ingredients straight from our farm. The kids can try our new children’s menu and tuck into Oldham made Grandpa Greene’s ice-cream.

Alongside this we’ll have an outdoor BBQ serving up Za’atar spiced chicken, cumin spiced lamb and veggie options. Plus sandwiches, hot drinks and sweet treats.

So come along to relax, create, learn, connect, play and help us celebrate our special launch day!