Derby LIVE Announces St George’s Day Celebrations

13th April 201713th April 2017 Claire Meese

Derby LIVE is working in association with FOLK 3D and Lost Boys Theatre Company, along with local schools and community groups to deliver an annual feast of family fun this St George’s Day weekend. The free celebrations for everyone to attend will take place on Saturday 22 April in Derby City Centre, 11am – 3pm.

The day provides the chance to celebrate Merrie Olde England. Events in the Market Place will include Morris dancing throughout the City Centre, maypole dancing, a ceilidh, medieval combat and a variety of other exciting acts. In addition to the performances The Arts and Craft fair will return to the Market Place and Reach the Core will be providing free ‘Have a Go’ Long Bow Archery.

Audiences can also expect to meet heroic characters from Derby and even Dragons as many local performance groups and schools put on some truly English performances. Students from Wyndham Primary Academy and Becket Primary School will be adding a new twist to the old English traditional dance style of broom dancing. Déda will be performing a piece based on dragons and monsters, and in homage to the Bards’ birthday there will be comic re-enactments of some of William Shakespeare’s most beloved scenes and sonnets.

The celebration of traditional English heritage and culture will continue with lots of English eccentricity, including Morris dancing Daleks, live musical performances, well dressing and a flash mob ceilidh.

The annual St George’s Day parade will set off at 11:30am from The Spot. St George will lead the parade as it winds its way through the city, picking up traditional dancers along the way, until finishing at the Market Place waterfall at 12noon.

The Lost Boys will perform a tongue-in-cheek re-telling of the story of St George and the Dragon as the parade reaches the Market Place.

The St George’s Day Celebrations will take place on Saturday 22 April in Derby City Centre, 11am – 3pm.

The event is free to attend and the full programme is available at www.derbylive.co.uk.