Written by Tim Cook of Harrogate Informer.

As a lead-up event to the UCI Cycle Championships, Harrogate is hosting street theatre, a carnival parade and entertainments in the Valley Gardens on the 27 July 2019.

Friday 26 July 2019 at 8pm

Saurus on John Street and the Ginnel

Saturday 27 July 2019

Street Theatre – various locations in the town centre of Harrogate from 12:00 to 17:00

Carnival Parade – starting at the Cenotaph at 11am and taking in circuit of the centre of Harrogate before heading to Valley Gardens

Valley Gardens – Music, Food, entertainments, workshops, dance

Harrogate Town Centre Street Theatre – 27 July 2019

Blue Bells

12:00 to 12:30 – Oxford Street, between McDonalds and Theatre13:30 to 14:00 – Cambridge Street/ John Street15:00 to 15:30 – Montpellier

Roo’d

12:30 to 13:00 – Montpellier14:00 to 14:30 – Oxford Street, between McDonalds and Theatre15:00 to 15:30 – Beulah Street

Hedgemen

13:00 to 13:00 – Cambridge Street/ John Street14:30 to 15:00 – Cambridge Street/ John Street16:00 to 16:30 – Oxford Street, between McDonalds and Theatre

Flamingos

13:30 to 14:00 – Beulah Street15:00 to 15:30 – Oxford Street, between McDonalds and Theatre16:30 to 17:00 – Kings Road, between Stuzzis and Christies

Carnival Parade

Starting at 11am, the Carnival celebrations kick off with an opening parade featuring ensembles, music, and dance from around the world including street theatre and some of our local performers too. An explosion of colour and sound through the town.

Starting at the Cenotaph and heading towards McDonalds, Oxford Street, down Cambridge Street (past M&S, Boots etc) and then down Montpellier.

This will feature the below performers:

Sauras by Close-Act

TheatreBrass Band of 100 made up of local bands across the area

Leeds West Indian Carnival

Houriat

Back Chat Brass

The Tanoura Dancer

Bombay Baja Brass

A Sweep of Swallows from A Bird in the Hand

TheatreCroc Hunters

Valley Gardens – 27 July

Music

The celebrations continue all day in the Valley Gardens, and the Global Music Stage will be one of the main focal points of the day. Expect New Orleans meets 90’s club classics with Mr Wilson’s Second Liners, hip hop and Afrobeat from Têtes de Pois, Latin and Jamaican groove from Dennis Rollins, and Sambroso Sambroso recreate the irresistibly smooth sound of the Buena Vista Social Club Cuban grooves. Meanwhile the Leeds West Indian Carnival will bring DJs, dance and fabulous costumes alongside craft workshops for families to the Carnival stage, a spectacular Caribbean street party awaits.

The line-up features:

Mr Wilson’s Second Liners

DJ Trev

Tete de Pois

Dennis Rollins’ FUNKY FUNK!

Sambroso presents Buena Vista Social Club

For the family

As this is a family-themed day, there is naturally a huge array of family- activities centred on mums, dads and kinds, with dance and craft workshops, storytelling, rides, walkabout street theatre and more across the gardens throughout the day.

Featuring:

Craft workshops

Chalking art

Spray art graffiti

Willow circles

Carnival crafts and dance moves

Make and take carnival craft

Storytelling with animated objects

Face painting

Dance Stage

Here visitors can sit back and watch – or dig out their dancing shoes – to learn Egyptian Tandoura, Turkish Belly Dancing or Indian Dance from Annapurna Indian Dance Company.

Featuring:

The Tanoura Dance

Houriat Belly Dancing

Annapurna Indian Dance and workshop

Flag dancers throughout the day

Theatre of Food

The Theatre of Food is a fully immersive stage offering cooking sessions and inspiring food demonstrations from around the world. Cookery demonstrations will be hosted by Yorkshire celebrity TV chef and Festivals’ favourite, Stephanie Moon.Featuring:Samira Effa – True Foods RiponKevin Fernandez – Rafi’s SpiceboxTosin Dayo-Oyekole (OSO Cook) – OSO Sauces, WakefieldMehdi Boykemach – Fodder, HarrogateFood and Drink StallsAnd if the Theatre of Food has got the taste buds tingling, then why not “eat your way around the world” with the carefully curated food zone, washed down with an array of beverages to cater for every palateFeaturing:The Big Red Oven – Wood Fired Pizza SpecialistsPersis BaklavaHarvey’s SausagesHales BarMobile Bar / Pop-up Bar – Bierhaus NancyFlat EarthPavs DhabaCold Bath Brewing CompanyFifi’s Caribbean TwistWaterworksFreshly made doughnutsCarnival KitchenOnfire CateringFlavour EventsC and M IcesLebanese Street Food SOURCE: Tim Cook at Harrogate Informer