THE RIVER MAGAZINE | Autumn 2016 27 Food, cheer and beer, it is bermondsey Street Festival’s 11th year! S ummer may feel like it’s slipping away but organisers of this year’s Bermondsey Street festival are not ready to fold up the bunting. The annual village fete returns in full force on Saturday, 16 September 2017. Local residents can again look forward to a good old- fashioned fun-packed day on traffic-free Bermondsey Street. With its close proximity to London Bridge and Borough Market, the festival encourages its locals and their guests to come down to enjoy the family fun, street food and quality craft beers from local breweries. Don’t miss delicious cuisine from local favourites such as Village East, Tanner & Co., Southwark Brewing Company, The Woolpack, Tower Tandoori and Cakehole. Liquid refreshments are on offer with Bermondsey Street’s vibrant and trendy bars and pubs serving beverages in Tanner Street park. There’s something for everyone with more than a hundred stalls with art and crafts, food and drink. There’s plenty of action in Leathermarket Gardens including face painting, JoJo Fun Entertainers, Donna Maria’s maypole dancing and Holly and Lil’s infamous dog show, which has been a staple of the festival since its inception. Chesterons Community Arena will host acts such as the South London Jazz Orchestra, and the Dance Stage in Whites Grounds will welcome artists, musicians, dancers including Salsa Oracle. For those seeking a quiet spot, a new wellbeing area in Leathermarket Gardens hosted by Dimbleby Cancer Care, will offer complementary therapies including massage, reiki and reflexology as well as group yoga sessions and mindfulness meditation. They will be offering taster sessions to lend their support to people going through cancer and their families. The festival debuted in 2007 when Michael Davies of the Bermondsey Street Area Partnership challenged the community to produce a festival in a mere three weeks. The council and local businesses chipped in and it was held in Tanner Street Park with Maypole, a ceilidh, dog show, music and around 30 stalls. Local artist Andrew Logan cut the ribbon and declared the festival open. Since then the festival has gone from strength to strength and helped to put Bermondsey on the map. It has attracted the support of notable Bermondsey residents including iconic fashion designer Zandra Rhodes. Now into its eleventh year, it continues to evolve alongside its ever changing residents but remains firmly rooted in community spirit with support this year from Southwark Council and local businesses Acorn and Galliard Homes. Festival Lead, Bill Owen, said:“This great community event is a way of bringing together people from all parts of our diverse community and enjoying a rich and wide variety of experiences that truly reflect our area. We’re also delighted to support local charities. “This year, more than ever, it is important to embrace community spirit following the nearby attacks in June. The busy street will be closed to traffic and will become a welcoming spot offering fun for the whole family – it promises to be another fantastic event.” To see the latest list of who and what will be at the Festival this year, visit bermondseystreetfestival.org.uk There will be a programme available on the day. BSF 2017 Tweet us at @BermondsStFest Like us on Facebook (Bermondsey Street Festival) Follow the full day’s activities on Instagram bermondsstfest More than ever, it is important to embrace community spirit | c u l t u r e |