Jericho Street Fair 2019 returns with more community spirit

Featuring live music, world food and artisan stalls, The Jericho Street Fair 2019 will feature two main stages with performances until the evening.

The long-running Canal Street event, organised by the Jericho Community Association, promises a day of fun activities, games, refreshments and neighbourly spirit.

Dubbed Jericho’s ‘social event of the year’, the fair is returning for another community get together.

Community Association Committee chair Charlotte Christie explained: “The intention is to give the community an opportunity to get out, enjoy themselves and meet their neighbours.

“The Old Bookbinders does music all day (and) we do have singers and the Morris men dancing.”

There will once again be a Bookbinders and Community Centre stage for live performances.

She continued: “We just hope that it is an opportunity for people to come together and enjoy being part of Jericho.

“The Community Association is (also) hoping that one day we will have a new community centre on the boatyard site.”

It is not clear when the event formally began, but organisers say it has now been going for more than 30 years in a similar format.

The event has long been linked to efforts to get a new community hub for Jericho, but a new centre is still some way off since it is linked to a proposed scheme for the development of the local boatyard.

Once plans are more advanced, organisers say fundraising can begin for a new centre.

For locals, the family-friend day will also offer up various pieces of children’s entertainment, including art opportunities, a bouncy castle, face painting and sumo wrestling.

Dozens of stalls selling everything from flowers to antiques to gourmet chocolate will be on the street and a raffle with 'many valuable prizes' will also be held.

Kicking off at noon along with the day’s other activities, The Old Bookbinders pub’s stage will see performances from nine artists including Earinade, The Mighty RedOx, Experimental Blues Orchestra and Summit 7 until 9pm.

Meanwhile, the Community Centre stage will see the Jericho Singers, Upstream, Anorak, Afshin Ardalan, and Delnavaz perform.

Josh Mullet-Sadones, from Bookbinders, added: "There is going to be two stages curated by local residents and they will all be playing host to local bands and musicians throughout the day."

'All manner of exotic food' will be central to the day, with a countless refreshments available all afternoon.

Mr Mullet-Sadones added: "There will be market stalls up Canal Street, including world food and stalls to promote a sense of community and community fund raising.

The street fair does not make profit but any leftover money goes towards funding the current community centre and its associated activities.

Organisers say all the stalls are now taken and 'went very quickly this year', with some offers being turned away. However, volunteers are still gratefully accepted - email admin@jerichocentre.org if interested.