Do you know somewhere near you that could host the event? We will consider any suggestion virtually and then follow up with a location visit with a view to asking the landowner for permission to start considering any suitable sites we can identify.
There are several key main elements that are necessary to consider a site as a possible venue:
- Firstly, land size. We are looking for a site that is about equal to 3 full size football pitches. This is for the trade site, campsite and car park. Ideally the campsite will need to be adjacent, or very near the trade site, and the same for the car park. The land should be as flat as possible and be alongside a waterway. The trade site area must be together, and not in small pockets.
- The waterway alongside must be able to accommodate up to 100 visiting boats, preferably double moored. Ideally the towpath will be on the same side as the site.
- If there is a section of good flat bank that can accommodate floating traders, that would be an advantage. The waterways must be connected to the main network. We have had events on rivers as well as canals.
- Access onto the land must be good enough for caravans, trailers and suppliers’ vehicles. It should be noted that vehicles can be up to 7.5 tonnes for suppliers.
- There needs to be a water supply nearby. A fire hydrant is acceptable, as we obtain permissions to use this type of supply.
- The nearer to a town the event is, the larger the projected attendance. Past events for example have been close to St Neots High Street, Northampton city centre and Ilkeston town centre. All of these enjoyed large attendance.
- The Festival of Water also seeks to campaign on local issues; if, for example, the waterway is underused, has navigational problems or even a has a restoration nearby, we will use the event to draw attention to the waterway’s needs and challenges.
While there are a few boxes to check, we hope that by asking members we can identify new sites to hold this popular event and bring it back better than ever in 2027.
If you know of anywhere that might be able to hold an event for a Festival of Water or a campaign rally, please directly contact Maria Hearnden who will be delighted to hear from you: [email protected].
