ALRESFORD WATERCRESS FESTIVAL

Programme of Events

The festival cavalcade gets things going and is the chance for festival-goers to taste some of the first watercress of the season. Music, song and dance take place all day on the Main Stage, inside St. John’s Church and on the streets.
 

Well-known chefs demonstrate their skills and some mouth-watering recipes at the Cookery Theatre

​

Festival Cavalcade
Starts from outside the Globe at 10:00 and proceeds up Broad Street. Sussex Jazz Kings, Hook Eagles Morris, Mayflower Morris and children from Sun Hill Infants and Junior School will accompany a horse and cart which carries this year’s Watercress King and Queen distributing the first of the season’s watercress harvest to festival-goers.

Main Stage in Broad Street

(final timings may differ)
 

10:30    Alresford Ukulele Jam our very own local Ukulele Band              

11:00    Sun Hill Juniors Song and Dance                                   

11:30    Sussex Jazz Kings play some jazz standards             

12:30    The Mo Woods Band

13:30    Pete Harris Trio

14:45    Watercress Awards - presentations

15:00    Watercress Eating Championships – sign up from 14:30

St. John's Church
(final timings may differ)

Come to St. John’s Church, relax and listen to some excellent musicians and singers.
 

10.30    Sun Hill Infants Song and Dance                                

12.00    Godalming Brass ( if fine, in the churchyard; if wet in the Church )

13.00    Alresford Community Choir 

14.30    Winchester Rock Choir

Cookery Demo Unit in Broad Street

Broad Street (final timings may differ)
 

10.30   Shelina Permaloo Master Chef Champion 2012 and proprietor of the Lakaz Maman Restaurant  

11.30   Zoltan Kover Head Chef The Rose and Crown Farringdon 

12.30   Jane Devonshire, BBC Masterchef Champion 2016 

13.30   Damian Brown, Head Chef at Chesil Rectory 

14.30   Lucy Williamson Nutritionist and Davina Tibbetts Home Economist ‘Love Watercress’

​Watercress Festival Awards

Once again, we shall be challenging our stall-holders to come up with the most creative/interesting/mind-blowingly awesome use of watercress.

Past entries have included such delights as watercress & blue cheese tart, cheddar and watercress sausages, sea salted watercress fudge, chicken & watercress pie in a white wine sauce and, believe it or not, a watercress muffin especially made for our four-legged visitors!

Watercress Eating Championships

You are challenged to munch your way through one 85g bag of fresh watercress and wash it down with a small bottle of water in the fastest time. The Guinness World Record is currently 32 seconds.  Can you take the heat?  If you think you can sign up at the MAIN STAGE at 14:30. The championships will get started at 1500hrs with the redoubtable Paul Rees keeping the participants in order and the crowd in stitches.

And Elsewhere.......

Hook Eagles Morris and the all-girl Mayflower Morris will dance and play music throughout the town centre. You'll also come across Alresford Ukulele Jam as they busk their way around the streets.  And part of Godalming Brass will perform towards the bottom of West Street from 11:30 to 12:30.

Kids Zone

East Street (final timings may differ)

10.30     Peter Dann Punch and Judy Show

11.30     Falcon High Display Team (in East Street Car Park opposite Long Barn)

12.00     Peter Dann Punch and Judy Show

12.30     Circus Skills Show with Juggling Jake

13.30     Peter Dann Punch and Judy Show

15.00     Peter Dann Punch and Judy Show

              Falcon High Display Team  (in East Street Car Park opposite Long Barn)

15.00     Circus Skills Show with Juggling Jake

Lost & Found Children

Finally, just in case your youngsters go walk-about, collect a child's wristband from the Festival Information Centre in West Street.  The information could help us reunite you more easily.  It also gives your child a chance to see where to go in case he/she gets lost.

Festival Programme

Site Map