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Out and about / Christmas
BilliFest 2018 High Street prepares to welcome BilliFest on Saturday 1st December
W
ith folk now counting down the days to Christmas, this year’s BilliFest Family Fun Day & Christmas Fayre is here again! This is the third time it will be held in the High Street since its highly successful relocation from Jengers Mead car park in 2016. It takes place on Saturday, 1st December from 10am to 3pm. We are pleased to announce that the event this year will be opened by our MP Jeremy Quinn accompanied by the winner of this year’s poster competition from the Primary School. BilliFest is Billingshurst’s preeminent pre-Christmas community event and is organiSed by the Billingshurst Community Partnership with the financial and ‘in kind’ support of loyal local business and community sponsors. Announcing the news, Patrick Perks of the Billingshurst Community Partnership, said, “BilliFest goes from strength to strength and we are already being approached by stall holders, charities, clubs and local organisations for stands. The line-up of artistic performers who want to be ‘on stage’ there is growing fast too”. He added, “There is exciting renewed interest to expand BilliFest Fringe, which takes the activities south of the A272 roundabout down to West Street. We also are encouraging the Jengers Mead traders to join in and we are planning some special Children’s entertainment in Jengers Passage. We always welcome new people and new ideas”. Mr Perks said that shops and restaurants in the High Street are being encouraged to become more involved with pavement activities because BilliFest is not just for visiting stall holders. “BilliFest brings the whole of the High Street to life as the community comes together in the very heart of the village. It puts
our own High Street shops at very centre stage and we welcome this opportunity for them to reach out”. Last year, BilliFest attracted over 2000 people to the village centre with some 40 gazebos running up the centre of the High Street from Sainsbury’s to Jengers Mead. To accommodate the event, the High Street is closed from the A272 roundabout in the south to the Jengers Mead roundabout in the north, while allowing access to the Jengers Mead car park and shops from the north. The programme of activities throughout the day includes nonstop music and dancing performances, hog roast, a Grand Raffle and Billingshurst’s now famous, free, Santa’s grotto. Last year, 250 children met Father Christmas and received their individual gifts. Of course, the Find the Name of the Gnomes Competition will be there for the kids too with details to be announced later. Patrick said, “With the festive season just around the corner, this is the perfect opportunity to find great presents as well as have a day full of family fun”. Patrick concluded, “We are indebted to our generous sponsors without whom we could not put on this Christmas event”. See you at BilliFest! Billingshurst Community Partnership – Patrick Perks and the BILLIFEST Team Photo: John Gooderham will once again be this year’s Santa
Forgotten Children of the Land of Lakes and Volcanos will be at The Unitarian Chapel for Billifest, Saturday 1st December 10am-3pm Come and buy your Christmas gifts in the Winter Wonderland to support the children on the remote island of Ometepe, Nicaragua so they have school equipment and educational materials. Nicaragua has recently entered a period of civil unrest and these communities have become even poorer!
Refreshments, homemade cakes, jewellery, mosaics, gifts, cards, art, textiles, pottery, demonstrations and a warm welcome! Carolyn Gibbs gibbs125@btinternet.com 07810 565226 Supported by Peace and Hope Trust Charity No.1120555
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