Hopes are high that a phoenix will rise from the ashes of the Spalding Flower Parade, with a week-long food, flowers and arts event being mooted for 2014.
The week would start with a “People’s Parade” on a Sunday in July (before the schools break up) and finish with a food festival the following Saturday.
A task group has been discussing various ideas and a public meeting is to be held on Saturday, May 18, at a venue yet to be fixed, chaired by MP John Hayes and organised by Spalding and District Chamber of Commerce.
Members of the public and representatives of interested groups are invited to attend the meeting, hear what is being suggested and indicate whether they support the ideas.
Among the group are local MP John Hayes, Chamber of Commerce president Phil Scarlett, David Norton and Adrian Janson of the Springfields Horticultural Society, Free Press editor Jeremy Ransome and Tulip Radio’s Jan Whitbourn.
Mr Norton told the Free Press: “It is important to make people aware something is happening and that the 55-year history of the parade and the recent experiences of the Food Festival will not be wasted or lost.”
The festival would start with a community parade and end with a weekend food festival.
The parade would be on a Sunday to avoid clashing with the Saturday market, and music, dance, theatre and arts events would be run during the week.
Floats and other entries into the carnival would be from individual groups and organisations, who would create their own entries and find their own sponsorship and funding.
It would start and finish in a location where there could be a celebratory family event afterwards, possibly the rugby field.
The following week’s food festival would include cooking demonstrations, food stalls and competitions and would be held at Springfields or Ayscoughfee, possibly rotating from year to year.
Pubs, cafes, restaurants and local food growers/packers would also be encouraged to put on events during the week.
Locally grown summer flowers, plants and vegetables would be used to showcase and celebrate the wide diversity of South Holland’s food and horticultural businesses.
This could be in the form of floats and riverside mosaics using fruit, vegetables and flowers, vegetable sculptures and floral art statics, based on an annual theme.
It was felt the tradition of a festival Prince, Princess and Flower Queen need to be maintained and that all schools should be engaged.
Research would be carried out to ensure the festival did not impact on any existing local events and churches who hold flower festivals during the current parade week would be encouraged to move them back to July too.
After the public meeting decisions would be made about forming a steering group and sourcing funding to set up the event.
Mr Scarlett said: “I would encourage all groups from schools, Scouts and Guides to the Lions, Rotary and Round Table to be represented at the meeting and bring along their ideas.”
nSee page 11 for more news on the 2013 Flower Parade.