The inaugural running of ChesterFest has been labelled a huge success with over 7,000 people attending the free two-day community festival last weekend (22-23 June).
The event, organised by Durham Cricket Foundation & supported by Chester-le-Street & District Area Action Partnership, attracted people from all over the region to Riverside Park in Chester-le-Street to enjoy a weekend of live music, food stalls & community activities.
Over 50 businesses & voluntary organisations were involved across the two days. Aided by fine weather on Saturday, traders reported selling two days’ worth of product in a single day, with some forced to close early before restocking for Day Two.
The crowd were entertained by a number of food theatre talks, supported by Karbon Homes, throughout both days with Fabios, REfUSE & Little Dots Dishes delivering a series of sessions based around eating on a budget & making the most of leftover food to create delicious dishes.
A number of local businesses were involved in the Bellway community tent, from Teesdale Cheese & The Canny Candy Gadgies to Integrating Children & Foundation of Light.
The main marquee saw a number of musical performances, headlined by The Lake Poets on Saturday & DENNIS on Sunday, with more fun for kids provided by Durham Cricket’s Family Zone activities.
Overall the event was hailed as a big hit among the public, traders & voluntary organisations involved on the weekend.
Josie Pointon, Durham Cricket Foundation Manager, said: “We are extremely proud at how the event turned out & would especially like to thank the people of Chester-le-Street & wider region for their support of our brand new event.
“It was incredible to see so many families enjoying themselves & we have received outstanding feedback from all parties.
“We would also like to thank our sponsors Karbon Homes & Bellway, as well as the Chester-le-Street & District Area Action Partnership, without whom the event would not have been possible.”