Fleetwood Festival of Transport Gears Up for Biggest Day of the Year!
10 July 2017
by Visit Blackpool
Preparations are well underway for Fleetwood Festival of Transport this Sunday which promises to be the best yet.
The annual festival which is now in its 32nd year is once again expected to attract tens of thousands of people into Fleetwood, making it the busiest day of the year for the town.
Heritage transport attractions, plus arts and creative activities for families and a packed programme of performances are set to keep crowds entertained throughout the day with the return of the SpareParts Festival once again too.
Fleetwood Festival of Transport and SpareParts Festival takes place on Sunday July 16 from 10am in Fleetwood town centre and Memorial Park. For more information or to download the programme for Tram Sunday visit
www.fleetwoodfestivaloftransport.co.uk
Robert Brown, Chairman of Fleetwood Festival of Transport said: “Once again we have pulled out all the stops to make the day a fantastic celebration of all things transport and, of course, the town of Fleetwood.
“We rely heavily on the work of volunteers, transport enthusiasts who bring their vehicles and the people of Fleetwood who support what we do in many ways.
“We’re also delighted to have the support of our principle sponsor Chris Allen Garages, associate sponsor Freeport Fleetwood, the North Euston Hotel who support us throughout the year, and of Arts Council England who have invested in the SpareParts arts festival.”
The official opening of the day will take place at 11am with the transport and civic parade which will feature a host of vehicles and local people performing, starting at Fisherman’s Walk and making its way to the North Euston Hotel.
New for 2017 in Warrenhurst Road, free steam train rides will be on offer to budding rail enthusiasts on a small gauge railway which has been brought along for the day, while at Pharos Lighthouse a selection of heritage trams will be on display.
There will also be a wide array of vehicles both old and new all along Lord Street and North Albert Street as the whole of Fleetwood goes transport crazy for the day.
Throughout the festival there will be a host of activities on offer from the SpareParts programme in ‘The Junkyard’ in Memorial Park and in a special ‘Off The Rails’ youth zone in Euston Gardens as well as many roving performances through Lord Street and beyond.
Highlights of the arts programme this year include The Urban Playground Team with their performance dance piece STEAM which sees them tell the story of the locomotive through history, plus The Marie Celestial spaceship with aerial performance and storytelling, both situation in Memorial Park.
Children and young people will also be invited to take part in a special Space Quest to achieve their Arts Award Discover certificate, collecting art from around the festival to save aliens from the future from a world without art. Any children who want to take part can get their Space Quest map from the Soundavan in Memorial Park.
Adam McGuigan, Director of SpareParts Festival, added: “This year we have been incredibly lucky to receive support from Arts Council England’s Strategic Touring fund to take SpareParts ‘on the move’ to Sandbach and Crewe, but Fleetwood will always be its home.
“The programme of artists and performers is once again second to none and we’re sure that audiences in Fleetwood will be in awe of what is on offer – it really is a festival like no other.”
The much anticipated ‘Great SpareParts Parade’ will begin at 3pm from the Bold Street and North Albert Street featuring many of the artists who have performed throughout the day including the giant peddle powered contraptions of Festive Road, all designed to enliven the streets of Fleetwood with an explosion of creativity and colour as it makes its way to Memorial Park.
Members of the public who own a mobility scooter are invited to take part in the parade this year by joining in a creative workshop to decorate their scooter and join in the celebrations with their own transport inspired creations.
Anyone wanting to take part in the parade should head to the corner of Bold Street and North Albert Street at 2.45pm and will be provided arts and craft materials to transform their wheels into a wondrous transport creation.
The festival will culminate with a musical finale in Memorial Park with The Junkyard CRASH and the Little Scrappers who will perform a transport inspired set of live music and performance to wow the crowds and bring the day to a close.
Free parking is available on the day at ABP on Dock Street (FY7 6PP) and many activities are free of charge.
Fleetwood Festival of Transport and SpareParts Festival takes place Sunday July 16 from 10am in Fleetwood town centre and Memorial Park. For more information or to download the programme for Tram Sunday visit www.fleetwoodfestivaloftransport.co.uk