[C]arlisle Pageant returns to the city this year with a new route through the city centre.
The city’s historic pageant now takes place as part of the eleven-day Carlisle Fringe Festival and includes a community celebration in the city’s streets.
The new plans to re-route the procession this year, will see it start at Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery on Castle Street, and wind its way theatrically into the city centre, coming to an end outside the Old Town Hall.
The Pageant will make a return on Saturday 19th of August at 2pm, celebrating the city’s history and heritage and will feature a creative community ensemble of over 150 people – made up of local people, organisations and community groups.
The free-to-view event will be the centre piece of Saturday’s Carlisle Fringe event programme, which features music and award-winning street theatre taking place between 11am and 4pm at the city centre Market Cross.
Families of Carlisle can also attend a 1950’s Street Party at 12 o’clock that will bring together the people of Carlisle for an afternoon of free entertainment. Families are being encouraged to bring a picnic or sample some food from Carlisle Market stalls and enjoy the live entertainment, music and Pageant procession.
Free flag making workshops will be taking place in the run up to the event and participants can take part in the Pageant procession with their own newly made creations.
Prism Arts, a local arts organisation that promotes easy accessible arts for all, will work with the festival this year to create giant puppets that will make up part of the procession and will also see some of their participants taking part within the event as both performers and puppeteers.
Catharine Coulthard, Director of Prism Arts, said: “We’re thrilled to be playing a part in Carlisle’s Pageant this year, it’s a fantastic traditional event, which is inclusive of everybody and we’re glad to be able to work alongside the organisers of the Carlisle Fringe Festival to help build on this already successful parade.”
More information on how to get involved with the Pageant can be found online at www.carlislefringe.co.uk or by calling 01228 812 611.
The Carlisle Fringe Festival is a Carlisle City Council event in partnership with the Electric Theatre Workshop.
The unique event will return this year as a major international festival, combining the Carlisle Pageant, a Best of Carlisle market, an ancient Proclamation and a bustling international market alongside an action-packed programme of comedy, cabaret and family shows.
It will take over the city from the 18th to the 28th of August and will feature a heady mix of live entertainment at venues throughout the Carlisle.
