Join the party at Covent Garden
June 18th marks Covent Garden Market Building’s birthday, and the area is celebrating by hosting a packed weekend of fun-filled activity, from an array of delicious birthday food to bespoke anniversary street performances and good old-fashioned giant, outdoor party games, including some very special prizes for lucky players.
With two anniversaries to celebrate – it is 180 years since the structure was built and 30 years since it became London’s best loved shopping district - Covent Garden will be calling all revellers to join their anniversary weekend of activity, celebrating all that the area is famous for. Fun and frolics will include:
Piazza Party Games – Get yourself in the party mood with nostalgic, life-sized games celebrating the heritage of the area. Take part in a reconstruction of the once celebrated market trader ‘basket race’ on the Piazza or try your luck on Covent Garden’s very own ‘human fruit machine’ game. Want something a bit more traditional? Then take a stroll around the many balloon artists, face-painters, magicians, hula-hoopists and workshops that will be taking over the Piazza and Russell Street over the entire weekend
Giant Birthday Cake – What party would be complete without a helping of cake? A giant birthday cake adorned with candles will be cut into enough pieces to feed 2,000 hungry visitors from 12.30pm on Friday 18th, so be sure to follow us on Twitter @CoventGardenLDN and get to the front of the queue!
Covent Garden Birthday Card – A huge birthday card, designed by 10-year old school boy Hamad Al Humaidhan - who was dubbed the “new Picasso” when he hit the headlines recently for selling art reminiscent of Picasso for large sums of money - will be displayed on the Piazza for all to sign their birthday messages over the weekend.
The Ultimate Ice Sculpture – What’s cooler than an ice sculpture? An ice-sculpture designed in the shape of a ‘30’, with 30 special golden tickets frozen within! Watch it gradually melt on Saturday 19th to reveal its bounty of shopping and dining prizes, all redeemable in places across the Piazza – there is no better party bag to take home! You can also keep track of the melting structure via Twitter: @CoventGardenLDN
Kids’ Entertainment – Kids and families will be treated to a thrilling programme of entertainment that will see Russell Street closed down to create a family-friendly zone, to include interactive workshops hosted by Covent Garden street performers, face painting, flower pot decorating tote bag making and much, much more!
Street Performance Evening Cabaret – A celebration of 30 years of modern street performance will see the West Piazza transformed into a stage for the Street Performance Evening Cabaret, where well-loved street performers past and present will delight audiences with jaw-dropping and original performances.
A Covent Garden film from the British Film Institute This year the BFI celebrates 75 years of their National Archive. In celebration, Covent Garden will be playing host to the BFI screening of ‘Every Day Except Christmas’ (1957), a Lindsay Anderson classic film about workers at the old Covent Garden Market. The film will be screened on a loop every day in 11 the Market Building, from early June to mid July.
As well as all this, Covent Garden’s other known and loved features will also include:
Covent Garden Real Food Market – With an expanded food market incorporating tasty birthday treats, Covent Garden will be hosting the ultimate birthday spread. There will also be special stalls hosted by members of the local community.
The Apple Market – Celebrating 30 years since its launch, the Apple Market has been a showcase for hand-produced craft and antiques from the UK. This birthday weekend will see the launch of limited edition Apple Market anniversary products, including vintage silk scarves and 80s inspired jewellery pieces.
And don’t forget! Visitors to the area can get involved with two of Covent Garden’s year long initiatives:
Share your memories and stories of the area with our 2010 Creative in Residence Inua Ellams who will be wandering the Piazza. The best among them will be drafted into poetry and posted on the website: coventgardenlondonuk.com/creative
Share your images of the area with Covent Garden Canvas, Covent Garden’s photo-wall. Send in your images of Covent Garden and the local area and it will be featured online before being put forward for selection for a giant photo-wall installation, to be built on the Piazza later in the year: coventgardenlondonuk.com/canvas
Covent Garden Brand Director Bev Churchill commented, “This is a double celebration for us - two anniversaries in one. This is the moment we are asking Londoners and other visitors to come and celebrate the area with this us - and to have a piece of free cake!”
Keep checking coventgardenlondonuk.com for more information about Covent Garden’s Anniversary celebrations in 2010, where throughout the year there will be celebratory exhibitions, festivals and events featuring every aspect of Covent Garden from past to present to future – fashion, food, design and architecture.
You can also follow Covent Garden on Twitter and Facebook @CoventGardenLDN and facebook.com/CoventGardenLDN.
