Bringing Smiles to The Aspinall Arms' 10th Birthday Bash

Mitton, Ribble Valley, 5th May 2024

Over the bank holiday weekend, I had the privilege of showcasing my face painting talents at The Aspinall Arms' annual Beer, Gin and Jazz festival, made extra special this year as they celebrated their ten-year anniversary. The venue is an annual host for the Ribble Valley Jazz & Blues Festivall, and this year's event was a delightful fusion of sunshine, good music, delicious food and drinks, and community spirit.

When I arrived at the festival, the vibe was already electric with excitement. With the sun shining down on the scenic backdrop of the beautiful beer garden overlooking the river, coupled with jazz tunes in the air and the sound of glasses clinking, it was the perfect setting for a fun-filled weekend.

My face painting business has the pleasure of bringing smiles to faces of kids from 3 to 103. Both the staff and the children lined up eagerly at my face painting station. The parents were a little shy, but I'm on a mission to change that over the coming months! The festival's stunning spring setting inspired beautiful butterfly and pretty floral face paint designs, as well as a fair few mermaid, snake and spider-man requests.

Seeing everyone's faces light up when they look in the mirror really makes my day. One of the most rewarding aspects of my work is witnessing the happiness that my art brings. Parents beamed as their kids proudly flaunted their new face art, and friends eagerly compared their designs, adding to the festival's overall good vibes.

The Aspinall Arms itself, celebrating its milestone anniversary and a decade of good times, was buzzing with laughter and music. Festival-goers enjoyed a selection of real ales, weird and wonderful gins, and mouth-watering BBQ food, perfectly complemented by the smooth melodies of all the live jazz performances that kept everybody grooving. 

As the weekend drew to a close and the sun set over the Ribble Valley, I reflected on the wonderful experience of being part of such a vibrant community event. I was so grateful for the opportunity and blown away by the helpful, friendly team that made me feel so welcome and worked their socks off to put together a fun-filled weekend for all.

Just when I thought the weekend couldn't have gone any better, Sophie Vaughan, one of the supervisors who invited me to attend the event, was kind enough to leave me a wonderful review: "Wow! What an amazing lady Lauren is! So nice, friendly, bubbly and smiley all day! The children absolutely loved having their faces painted. So glad we got Lauren to face paint for the beer, gin and jazz festival. We will definitely be having her again for next year and we can't wait! Thank you so much Lauren!!"

Thank you to everyone who stopped by the Magic Mirror face painting station. Here's to more smiles, glitter and good times next year!