A Sneak Peek At This Year’s Jesmond Community Festival
Jesmond Community Festival
Dates for this year’s Jesmond Community Festival have been confirmed as the 11th to the 27th May 2013.
Including more than two weeks of music, entertainment, outdoor activities and open days, the event provides something for all ages.
The festivities will begin on 11th May with the Festival Parade from St. Georges Church through the centre of Jesmond, finishing at West Jesmond School for the Grand Festival Fair.
Among the events will be walks, concerts, workshops and taster sessions run by local businesses, churches, schools and community groups. New additions this year will include a murder mystery and a talk on literary Jesmond.
Organiser Chris Clarke has revealed an open-top bus ride will feature again, starting at Holy Trinity Church in Sandyford, taking people up to St George’s church to join the Festival Parade, before heading back to Sandyford later in the day.
Clarke said: “We’re always aware that a lot of the things that go on in Jesmond are focused on Acorn Road, so we try hard to make it more possible for people at the other end of Jesmond to take part.”
Clarke told JesmondLocal the festival was getting more and more interest each year.
“This year we should be able to fill the whole of Acorn Road from Osborne Road up to St. George’s Terrace with different floats and musicians.”
Most events will be free. Where charges are made, they are kept low to cover costs, or to raise money for a named charity.
Clarke said, “Just about every single organisation involved is waiving fees that they would otherwise be charging […] there are other people who are organising events free for the festival, when they would normally charge for them.”
The festival benefits from a huge amount of goodwill from those involved.
Keep looking for updates on the Jesmond Community Festival Facebook page, Twitter, Jesmond Library, or here on JesmondLocal.
Listen to Amy talking to Chris Clarke about the Festival below.