Cricklewood will be hosting its second annual Silk Road Festival from 1-7 September 2013. These events form part of a £1.67 million investment in Cricklewood through the Mayor of London’s Outer London Fund, a three-year initiative, helping increase the vibrancy and growth of high streets across London.
The Festival will include a variety of activities including arts and cultural nights at venues across the town centre, culminating in an outdoor event on 7th September. The open-air festival will feature stalls selling food and drinks, arts and crafts, live performances, interactive workshops, and children’s entertainment. With performers representing Europe, Africa, and Asia, this multi-cultural event reflects Cricklewood’s extraordinary diversity.
The term ‘silk road’ captures the present day role of the centre as a commercial route into and out of London. The festival aims to celebrate the local area’s abundant creativity, connect the communities that live on the three sides of the town centre, as well as increase footfall in the town centre. Local businesses getting involved will be able to highlight their products and services through special promotions on offer during the week.
The following events are scheduled to feature at this year’s festival:
- Events during the week include the Cricklewood Cruise classic car show and road rally; alfresco performances; open air cinema screening; salsa dancing; a Cricklewood heritage tour; stand-up comedy; and an open mic night
- The outdoor festival on Saturday 7 September: 12noon to 6pm, held at three locations throughout the town centre: the green outside B&Q (The Green Isle); outside the Bingo Hall (the Casbah); and Oaklands Road, off the Broadway (Cricklewood not Hollywood).
- Headline act from British pop band Red Box
- Live music performances representing cultures from around the world; ranging from Irish folk music to Jazz to Middle Eastern
- Cultural dances
- Delicious mouth-watering world foods
- Arts and craft stalls
- Children’s magician and bubble artists
- The return of the Maypole, with a performance by local children
- Interactive workshops
- Street theatre, including spontaneous opera singing
Leader of Barnet Council, Councillor Richard Cornelius, said: “Our local high streets are the lifeblood of our communities and initiatives like these are a great way of drawing more people in to see for themselves the diverse range of products and services they have to offer.”
The Chair of Cricklewood Town Team, Danny Maher, said: “Cricklewood came out in full swing to support and enjoy last year’s festival and we hope this year will be even better. The festival is a key part of changing the way local people think about the town centre. We are set for another successful festival in September with a great line-up of events on offer.”
For more information, contact the Cricklewood OLF Project Manager, Osita Udenson, on 07875 588 107 or udenson@btinternet.com. Please see the Silk Road Festival guide for more event details.