In an unprecedented move, the Stone Festival & Carnival team has announced a break for the main festivities in 2024 as it prepares to rekindle the event’s historic charm with a grander comeback in 2025.
Stone Festival has provided a weeklong festival of events leading up to a wonderful Carnival procession every June (except in 2020 due to the National Covid Lockdown) since 1969!
The current Festival Team have met every month since November and have been brain-storming new ideas and considering how to maximise our productivity and create an annual event that is exciting, attractive, up to date and entertaining.
However, many of the original (and subsequent) members of the Festival Team are either no longer with us, have left the area, or have retired. Consequently, with fewer volunteers, they do not have the resources or manpower to organise all the activities that have previously made up a week-long programme of events.
The festival team have therefore taken the decision to do something extraordinary, however it won’t be in 2024 – but it will happen in 2025!
The team wants to ensure that Stone Festival & Carnival is packed with exciting events and activities, including a colourful parade through the town with live music performances, dance shows, colourful floats, a funfair, food and drink vendors, and much more!
The Stone Festival & Carnival Team have said:
“We realise this will be disappointing for many people, however, we are able confirm that a number of our smaller events will still take place, in June this year, as originally planned.
As we finalise the details, we will publish regular updates for people to follow.
Longer term, our aim is to create an exciting line-up for the 2025 “new look”, rebranded Stone Festival & Carnival and to ensure that there is something for everyone – events that will cater to different interests and needs – and we are confident that by allowing more time to plan and with additional help and support, the event in 2025 will be bigger and better than ever before!
The Stone Festival Team are committed to providing an unforgettable celebration of the hospitable and creative community spirit that our lovely town is becoming known for!”
So far, the confirmed events for 2024 are:
- The Walking Treasure Hunt – organised as always by Stone Lions
- The Car Boot Sale – on Sunday 9th June, hopefully on Westbridge Park
- The Steeple Chase and Dog Derby, this year on the Sunday afternoon (9th June), starting and ending on Westbridge Park – with the help of Stone Master Marathoners
- The Family Fishing Day, also on Sunday 9th June
- The annual Historical Talk, on Wednesday 12th June, in the Crown Wharf Board Room
- The Freemason’s Open Evening – again on Wednesday 12th June
- The Mediumship Evening, on Thursday 13th June, in the Crown Wharf Board Room
If you wish to contact the Festival Team to offer your support, please email the Acting Chair (Tim Joyce) at concessions@stonefestival.co.uk
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