St George’s Day Celebrations

23/04/10

On Saturday 24^th April, Victoria and Chamberlain Squares will come alive with live bands, stilt walking dragons, Anglo-Saxon warriors and Morris dancing in a true festive celebration for St George’s Day.  Working in partnership with the Birmingham St George’s Day Association and BBC WM, the City Council has organised the following activities:

Victoria Square 11:00am – 5.00pm

A day packed full of family fun with FREE face painting, craft making workshops (where you can create a dragon) plus children’s rides supplied by Wilson’s Funfair. 

There is a traditional English food and drink area sponsored by Davenports, where you can sit back and enjoy the stage programme while you tuck in to some of the delights from local producers including Kirby Farm Pig Roasting with their traditional pig roast and home made sausage and bacon all produced locally on their farm, plus traditional English tea and cakes from Sarah Edwards who has won the ‘Great Taste Award’ for several years for her cakes.  Not forgetting the great English fish and chips.  Town Hall, Birmingham will be supporting the event by opening their café to serve traditional cakes and sandwiches.

To accompany the delightful foods are drinks from Hogan’s Cider and Davenports who will be bringing back their favourite ales and beers, and also serving English wine. 

Live Entertainment Stage – including traditional folk music, a tribute band to ‘Roxy Music’ and the Sovereign Brass Band.  The main stage will be hosted by BBC WM presenters Joanne Malin, Nikki Tapper and Jenny Wilkes, with a live broadcast from the event by Janice Long.   

Chamberlain Square 11.00am – 5.00pm

In Chamberlain Square Regia Anglorum will be bringing a taste of Anglo-Saxon living history with their village and entertainment programme, plus Earlsdon Morris Men will perform the ever popular Morris dancing.

Upper New Street

Following last year’s success, the English Farmers’ and Craft Market will return along Upper New Street. 

Symphony Hall – 6.00pm – 9.00pm

This year’s concert is in aid of the Edward Trust Charity in Birmingham, with a Bursary to Birmingham Schools to promote England & Englishness in an all embracing way.

The tickets are £6 (Grand Tier) and £8 other areas (includes Free Programme) available from Symphony Hall  and the Birmingham Town Hall box office on Ticket Hotline 0121 780 3333 or online on www.thsh.co.uk.

The concert will once again be hosted by Carl Chinn, and feature a Showcase of Birmingham Schools.  Other artists performing will be the Sovereign Brass Band, the Phoenix Singers, Bishop Walsh School Dancers, the West Midlands Police Male Voice Choir, plus many more.

The Birmingham Guides will be in attendance celebrating their Centenary this year.                                        

In addition to the activities in the square, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery will be displaying the Staffordshire Hoard, saved for the nation by generous public donation and The Centre for the Child will host Storytelling and Family Folk Dancing from the Traditional Arts Foundation, 12pm – 4.00pm.