Walthamstow Festival enters fifth year

Walthamstow Festival 2007 takes place next Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd September. The Festival is now in its fifth successful year, and is a celebration of the rich diversity in the Borough of Waltham Forest. The renowned Walthamstow Market, is a gem in East London's cultural makeup in the market alone 114 different nationalities are represented.

This popular volunteer-led, community event fills the High Street, Town Square & Gardens and for a weekend of fun-packed cultural and sporting activities that will be suitable for all ages! During the weekend, there will be a funfair, community stalls, mini-art exhibitions and children zones.

Saturday opens with Sports Day at 11am featuring sports demonstrations and games for children and young people. From 7pm the McGuffin Film Society presents an open-air film screening, which this year includes ‘The Illusionist’ as the main feature. Oscar nominee Edward Norton leads an all star cast in this hit thriller set in the year 1900. The screening ends at 11:00pm. Bring blankets, picnics and friends for a relaxed evening of movie magic under the stars of Walthamstow!

Sunday will host performances on the Global Local Stage from Latin Dub Sound System (big bass lines and carnival rhythms), Rhythms of the City (Flame Latin dance), The Dualers (a unique blend of ska, soul and reggae), Son Veneno (Latino America).

It will be packed with lots of live acts and music from around the world catering for all tastes. Exciting and diverse acts from the worlds of Reggae and Soul to Cajun music and Rock ’n’ Roll that will attract and entertain people of all ages and backgrounds. Don’t miss out on the Dancing stage, which will host local talent from the borough and give the opportunity for the people of Waltham Forest to show off their talent.

This year’s event will repeat the successful formula of free open-air film, street theatre, children’s entertainment, sports day, food, stalls and, of course, bands – all in the traffic-free environment of Walthamstow Town Square and Gardens, plus surrounding streets and The Mall shopping centre.

The Walthamstow Festival is a major community event for Waltham Forest, supported by the London Borough of Waltham Forest, The Mall and Waltham Forest Arts Council, with programming input from Continental Drifts. The event regularly attracts over 7,000 visitors from local residents in the Borough to people further afield and organizers hope to expand it this year so that it can respond to the Cultural Olympiad which starts in August next year and runs through to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012.

Festival Co-ordinator, Aurelie Guillen, said “We expect this year to be bigger and better than ever before but we need lots of community involvement to make it work. We are looking to recruit volunteers and encourage local community groups and artists to perform or take stalls to give the event a real buzz. We also need local businesses to support our community efforts by sponsoring events or taking commercial stalls.”

More details about Walthamstow Festival can be found on the recently launched website: Walthamstowfestival.com and also flyers and promotions can be found at local libraries throughout Waltham Forest.