WHAT'S ON
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
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