A free festive extravaganza – dubbed ‘an Arabian Nights version of Christmas’ – featuring street performers, music, storytelling and even a real camel, is set to take place next weekend.
Produced by Urban Wilderness, the arts organisation behind the popular Pig Walk carnival, the Winter Gathering will take place in locations across Longton, in Stoke-on-Trent, from 11am to 5pm on Saturday, 14 December.
Venues taking part include Longton Exchange, the Victorian market, Longton Central Hall, Britannia Café, the Moroccan Café and Café Delight, while The Strand will be closed to traffic and will host a stage and an array of street food vendors.
The event, which is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, will see a wide range of family-friendly activities including craft workshops, street entertainment, face-painting, henna, a funfair and a lantern parade.
Performers already lined up for the free festival include nu-marching band KiLNE, Domesday Morris dancers, singer Poppy Blond, storyteller Flick Goodman and Circus In A Box, who will present a stunning live fire show on the bandstand stage in The Strand.
There will also be a free relaxed theatre show in Longton Central Hall from 2pm to 3.30pm. The performance will have sign language interpretation and families are welcome to enter and exit as they wish.
Families will be able to meet a camel from 1pm, and many shops in the town will join in the fun with special offers on the day.
Isla Telford, Co-director of Urban Wilderness, said: “We are looking forward to welcoming people to Longton town centre for what promises to be a fantastic ‘Arabian Nights’ version of Christmas.
“We are excited to work with some great venues, including Longton Central Hall, to bring something completely new – and free – to families in this thriving, welcoming town during the festive period.”
The Winter Gathering follows Urban Wilderness’s Threads of Kindness project, which saw community volunteers making gifts for café owners in Longton who had moved to the town from elsewhere.
Tickets for the free theatre show can be booked here.
