Chester Racecourse Family Fun Day – 2nd of August 2026
It’s hard to explain just how much fun you can have at Chester Racecourse on their Family Fun Day. It’s been running for many years now and is always looked forward to and very busy. For 2026, the 2nd of August is the big day, and the Paw Patrol will be in attendance.
It’s no surprise people flock to it because it’s such a brilliant day to spend together as a family, with endless entertainment, glorious weather (usually), and very little stress about money since it’s pretty darn cheap, too.
It’s an event packed full of family friendly entertainment such as fairground rides, inflatable courses, costume characters, games and activities, face painting, circus skills, music, and of course, the racing itself.
Despite the event being at a racecourse, the racing is only a small part of the day really. A race runs around every hour, and everyone rushes to the sides to watch the horses go past, but you can totally ignore it if you want to. It’s actually a great time to beat the queues!
The whole thing feels like a community fun fair, and the setting is just glorious. It’s quite informal if you book for the Roodee, there’s no dress code unless you have tickets to the enclosures.
Tickets and Prices
One of the best aspects of the family fun day, especially for cash strapped parents, is that children under 17 go free. That makes it a whole lot more affordable than a lot of other family days out.
Adults still have to pay for entry of course, and those costs are as follows:
- The Roodee – £20.00 per person
- Paddock Pass – £43.00 per person
- County Long Room – £65.00 per person
- Winning Post – £125.00 per person
- Garden Family Fun Day Package – £150.00 per adult / £40.00 per child
I’ve listed the prices for the three cheapest enclosures and a couple of the more expensive ones, but there are others which are more exclusive or VIP which cost over £300 per person. The Roodee is where all the fun stuff is though, so why spend more? It’s right next to the track too, and loads of bookmakers are in there. What’s more, once inside everything is free except consumables. However, you can take your own food and drinks (not booze though), so it doesn’t need to cost more than £20.00 per person. Any other spending is optional.
If you are in a large group of 10 or more you can contact the course directly to book and the person booking goes free.
Gates open at 12:10am, the first race is at 2:10, and the last race is at the very specific time of 4:52.
