Northern Quarter street party for Royal wedding
Manchester's bohemian Northern Quarter is to host a 1940s-style street party for the Royal wedding on Friday 29 April.
Edge Street and part of Oak Street will be transformed with bunting, punch and Victoria sponge in abundance.
Local cafes and businesses will set up stalls offering party food, cake, chocolate, vintage delights, arts and crafts and much more.
An eclectic fashion show will showcase the Northern Quarter's finest independent designers and outlets, with many of the garments available for sale on stalls afterwards.
The event is being organised by Edge Street Events, an events and marketing company situated in the heart of the Northern Quarter on Edge Street. The company is already known for the Manchester Food & Drink Festival.
Carole Keating is a freelance events manager who came up with the idea, pitched it to Edge Street, and is now working on the event as part of their team.
Keating said: "Since putting the word out only a month ago we've had an unbelievable response, with 2,500 fans and over 800 followers and growing every day. It looks set to be a fairly major event for the area as we're aiming to attract around 2,000 people to the event, to bring new people to the Northern Quarter as well as getting the locals together. We love a good excuse for a party in Manchester but it's also a great opportunity for businesses to engage with the NQ community- a community of movers, shakers and tastemakers."
The Northern Quarter Street Party will celebrate Manchester's cultural hub and the myriad of independent enterprises that make it one of the most exciting, dynamic and diverse neighbourhood in the UK to work and play in.
A swing dance lesson by the Manchester Lindyhop society is sure to get toes tapping, while a 40s-themed treasure hunt around the Northern Quarter will delight would-be sleuths. A busker's bandstand will feature a mix of folk bands, magicians and other entertaining eccentrics. Local artists will showcase their work in a series of live art performances; there are rumours abound of an epic sing-off between two rival barbershop choirs, while the 'Red Arrows' will be taking to the streets as you've never seen them before!
Budding cake-bakers, bunting-crafters and jam-makers are invited to enter their creations into a competition, to be judged by a very special guest. Other party plans include craft workshops, a brass band and string quartet, charity tombola, pass the parcel, black pudding hoopla and much more. As the light fades stunning visual projections will be provided by Littlestar Media and DJs including Xfm's Gareth Brooks, Murkage Cartel and the stars of the NQ's finest underground clubnights will keep the party going til 9pm.
The Northern Quarter Street Party plans to become an annual event, held every summer and growing in size, scope and ambition- now is the time to get on board with an event set to become a key fixture in Manchester's cultural calendar.
