Karl Brown, one of the team behind this year's Palmers Green Festival, updates readers on preparations for the big day on 1st September, but warns that there's a possibility that it may not be able to go ahead.
PG Festival 2019 is currently on track: stall registration has closed with over 100 signed up, supporting a range of exhibitors and attractions. Demand for the pop-up stage has been substantial, a timing problem for our newly installed pop-up zone lead. Festival's focus will now include building awareness from here on in.
Positively, there seems to be an opportunity for a second pop-up space, this one focused more on movement rather than music – dance, yoga - if anyone wants a Festival role. We’d also like to meet anyone keen to be a kid’s zone leader for 2020, a new initiative we anticipate for then.
On the downside, and along with other planned Broomfield events, we're currently sitting on a major issue with the council that we’re seeing as bringing a 20 per cent (and rising) risk to Festival going ahead at all. That’ll necessarily crystallise in a month's time, at which point we’ll need to stand everything and everyone down for good order. That’ll certainly be interesting.
In the meantime, and assuming someone finds their common sense before then, the Event Management Plan for Festival gives introductory detail of what we’re about and seeking to achieve. The section is copied in below.
Event overview
The Palmers Green Festival (“Festival”) is an annual event, taking place in Broomfield Park N13, which has been running successfully since its inception in 2008. With the demise of the Enfield Town Show it is now the boroughs premier summer festival, long since employed as a best practice source for other community events. It is a free to enter event, developed and run entirely by local volunteers and has an excellent track record of being a safe, family-orientated, day out for the local community and visitors to Palmers Green. It seeks to satisfy the diverse local community, covering all ages, abilities and financial standing in its available offerings. It is non-political and not linked to any pressure-group.
Originally intended as a means to unite and celebrate the local community, experience and subsequent intent has led to Festival having a much wider range of objectives and associated benefits, including:
- to help strengthen the cohesion of Palmers Green community (and its surroundings) through the opportunity to meet neighbours and experience different cultures
- to showcase Palmers Green as a viable retail, business and visitor location
- to provide a wide range of opportunities for visitors to experience and take part in activities such as the arts, music, debate and fitness
- to provide business opportunities, so directly and indirectly creating and supporting employment
- to act as a launch-pad for new community initiatives
- to showcase and promote opportunities in health and wellbeing
- to provide an opportunity for residents to volunteer
Festival takes place on the first Sunday in September, typically the weekend before schools return after the long summer break. It is held in Broomfield Park, N13, an ideal location for the local core audience. It is easily accessible by active transport for those coming from further afield.
Broomfield Park hosts a range of permanent community and other features which are included as part of Festival, the majority are managed via the Friends of Broomfield Park.
I think we can certainly say it’s brought a lot of enjoyment as well as throwing off a large number of success stories over its lifetime. We’re always keen for as many locals as possible to put their hands up and assist in some manner. Contact details are on the Festival web site.
