FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY AT BOX ON THE DOCKS THIS BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND

The iconic MediaCityUK piazza has been transformed with socially-distanced vinyls mapped out in the shape of Box On The Docks sheds to encourage picnickers to grab a spot surrounded by plenty of space and have a bite to eat. Soak up some sunshine listening to live music throughout the weekend, including “Mr Wilson’s Second Liners” who will bring an extravaganza to the piazza on Saturday, bursting with sounds and colour.

For families, a trip to the brand new CBeebies box “Everyone’s Welcome at CBeebies!” is a must. Positioned just a stone’s throw from the Blue Peter Garden, pop into the bright yellow box and have a go at the CBeebies Spotting Game. Families can also enjoy the Box On The Docks Art Trail, with a specially created Art Trail Activity Book which can be downloaded for free from Thursday via boxonthedocks.co.uk. Find the Art Trail map at the large greenhouse on the central bandstand and have fun with your families discovering facts about Box On The Docks and making memories exploring MediaCityUK.

Sophy Jacob, Interim Director of BBC Children’s and Education said: “CBeebies is all about having fun, so we wanted our box to offer little ones and their families a bright and colourful space of their own to enjoy. We are thrilled to be involved and look forward to seeing families out having fun together in a safe environment.”

From 12 – 7pm throughout the weekend, the spacious piazza will welcome a number of local street food traders including pop ups from Korean Grub Club, and Manchester Street Food Trader of the Year 2019, Grandad’s Sausages, who will offer tasty hotdogs and sides. And for those with a sweet-tooth, Spoon Desserts will be whipping up traditional Crepes, cookie dough and churros.

The popular Makers Market at Quayside MediaCityUK will also be taking place on the plaza outside the shopping mall and Lowry Arts Centre on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Enjoy browsing stalls filled with an abundance of award-winning artisan bakers and local makers. Walk over to the MediaCityUK gardens and find a deckchair to relax in and enjoy your Makers Market treats.

Finally, why not take the opportunity to take some time for you this weekend. Relax, unwind and focus on your wellbeing by taking part in one of the free yoga classes at Box On The Docks. The socially distanced yoga classes will be led by Carly Tong and are open to all ages and abilities. Classes will run at 12pm on Friday and 11am on Saturday and will take place on the MediaCityUK piazza. Booking is not required so just turn up with your own yoga mats. Once you’re feeling tranquil and zen, why not head over to Vertigo’s new restaurant for a revitalising smoothie bowl and green juice or try a warming and delicious oat milk flat white from Grindsmith’s coffee van.

Alternatively, go to boxonthedocks.co.uk to book one of the 30 self-contained boxes serviced by the multiple bars and restaurants taking part in Box On The Docks, including Wagamama, Dockyard, Vertigo, The Botanist, and The Alchemist.

Josie Cahill, Place Director for MediaCityUK said: “Box on the Docks has exceeded all our expectations, we have been delighted  to watch visitors safely return to MediaCityUK – our boxes are now almost fully booked, and we’ve even had our first socially distanced wedding! At MediaCity, we have plenty of outdoor space, we therefore wanted to extend our offering even further, complementing this weekend’s Maker’s Market at Quayside with the addition of sectioned areas for picknickers on the MediaCity Piazza, morning yoga and street food vendors, as well as specific activity for families such as the Art Trail and CBeebies box. We look forward to continuing to safely welcome you to MediaCityUK.”

To round off your trip, you won’t even need to pay for parking! There is free parking available to those arriving before 5pm at Quayside multi-storey car park, simply visit the information desk to validate your ticket by completing a quick survey and/or by showing a receipt from one of our participating restaurants.

For more information follow @boxonthedocks on social and sign up to the mailing list on the website: boxonthedocks.co.uk

For further information, images, or to book a visit please contact shaunie.parsons@carouselpr.com or sam.walker@carouselpr.com

About the name ‘Box on the Docks’

Salford Quays has a great history of the industrialisation of the Manchester Ship Canal – with over 6,000 dock workers in its heyday. We may have swapped dock workers for media makers, shipped goods for streamed content, and Salford Docks for MediaCityUK, but what drives us remains the same: this is and has always been a place of global export and exchange. We’d like to champion this throughout the project – especially with this being a project for local artists.

Find out about Box On The Docks’ ‘Safe, Spacious, Secure’ manifesto here.