A new event which is likely to become a firm fixture on Keswick’s ever expanding social calendar is in the early stages of being planned.
Keswick Town Council’s events committee is looking at organising a May Day event at Townsfield park. It will be a traditional town fair and would feature a Maypole, morris dancers, fun events and charity stalls along the lines of those seen at the annual Victorian Fayre.
Equipment already purchased for the cancelled Keswick Games event, such as space hoppers, would also be pressed into action.
Last night’s meeting of Keswick Town Council was due to be told that this would be a “give back” opportunity with the costs covered by grants and sponsorship.
There are also plans to expand the Keswick Games which were due to be held at Townsfield in August but had to be cancelled at the 11th hour because of uncertainties over the weather and the state of the park.
The games are likely to be rescheduled to take place in September or October of next year at Fitz Park given the number of events in the first half of the year including the VE Day 80th anniversary commemorations, Party in the Park and Scruffs.
There are plans to expand the existing programme of the games with a focus on adult team events and child friendly games and this will be funded by vendors, sponsorship and grants as well as paid entry.
Town council clerk Vivien Little said the events committee was looking for an “ideal” event to stage at Townsfield. She said that the committee was not convinced that the Keswick Games were right for that venue because the uneven surface posed safety risks for participants.
She said that the May Day event would fill the void in the social calendar that was left vacant when Keswick Carnival folded in the early 2000s and added that the committee was keen “to do something at that end of town”.
“It will be very exciting if we can pull it off,” she said.
