A BRAND new festival is set to light up the streets of Evesham when the town’s first ever Festival of Light takes place next month.
Organisers of the event, the latest to be added to the town’s bustling festival calendar, have told the Observer they hope hundreds of residents will take part in a bid to create a spectacular display of light.
The first Evesham Light Festival will take place on Saturday, November 25 with a torch lit lantern parade to light up the night sky.
The parade will begin at 4.30pm from the Evesham Rowing Club car park and will see lantern bearers follow a trail through Abbey Park and up to the Market Square to join the Christmas Lights switch on celebrations.
The festival is being organised by Kelly-Anne Archer, Clive and Gill Stewart and Colin Tether who said they came up with the idea after being inspired by the Chinese Lantern Festival at Longleat.
They now want to replicate the light spectacle in Evesham and residents can take part by building their lanterns at a series of workshops which will take place next month.
The three workshops will be taking place on November 1, 8 and 15 from 3.30pm until 6pm at the Crafter’s Companion store at The Valley. Each workshop will cost £5 to take part which includes material costs and a torch.
The lanterns will not be released into the air. Instead they will be carried and will be lit by torches.
Speaking to the Observer, festival organiser Clive Stewart said: “The idea came after we saw the spectacular Chinese lantern festival at Longleat last year.
“The waterside parks in Evesham are beautiful and would make a lovely setting for a light festival. We thought it would be beautiful to see reflections of the lanterns in the river as the parade moves through Abbey Gardens.”
Visit www.facebook.com/EveshamLightFestival for more information.
