ORGANISERS of the Warrington Festival are gearing up for their busiest weekend yet with more than 5,000 people set to attend the festival’s biggest events – including a performance by singer Pixie Lott and the English Half Marathon.
The closing weekend of the festival, from this Friday to Sunday, also sees a local band night at Parr Hall, Warrington Museum and Art Gallery celebrating their 160th birthday and a whole range of activities to help the people of Warrington get fit and have fun.
The weekend kicks off with Live @ Parr Hall this Friday – an event featuring a line-up of local bands across various genres and age groups with seven local acts creating an incredible evening of live music.
The festival’s closing concert at Bank Park starts at 6pm on Saturday with local singer Ellie Dibben, from Lymm, indie band Viola Beach and last year’s X Factor finalist Jay James taking to the stage before
Pixie Lott’s headline slot.
There is also a wealth of activity happening across the whole town on Saturday, including free swimming at Great Sankey Leisure Centre, a number of history strolls and a performance in the town centre to commemorate World War I.
More than 4,000 runners will descend on the town centre on Sunday as the English Half Marathon, 10K, Corporate Challenge and LiveWire mile set off and finish at Warrington’s iconic Golden Gates for the first time. This will be followed by a closing dance performance in association with Warrington Wolves Foundation at the Festival Village in Bank Park.
If that wasn’t enough, they’ll also be a hub of activity over at Warrington Museum and Art Gallery as the venue celebrates 160 years since the foundation stone of the building was laid. There will be a special Sunday opening between 11.30am-3pm when visitors will be able to explore Warrington’s history through fun filled free activities for all the family, including Victorian guides and historic trails, craft activities, interactive gaming exhibitions and more.
Jan Souness, chairman of the festival steering group, said: “Warrington Festival is all about bringing the people of Warrington together to celebrate sport, culture and entertainment and most of all the communities and talent we have in the town. We have been able to do this by offering a diverse range of activities to keep the whole family entertained. We’ve seen thousands of people already take part in our activities across September and expect even more people to celebrate with us this weekend.”
Cllr Terry O’Neill, leader of the borough council, said: “It’s been fantastic to see the whole town come alive over the past few weeks thanks to all the Warrington Festival events that have brought our communities together. It will be great for the town to see the English Half Marathon come through the Golden Gates at the Town Hall for the first time and to also see an artist like Pixie Lott play on Bank Park.”
A number of road closures will be in place across the town centre from 5am-2pm on Sunday to make way for the English Half Marathon. For a full list of road closures, visit http://ehm.contest-sports.com/general-information/#road
