Update: Photos from the 2019 Handmade Parade

Colour, music, dancing and smiles: The sun shone and the crowds gathered as the Handmade Parade’s 'Once upon a Time' tales wound through the streets of Hebden Bridge yesterday for the 12th annual Handmade Parade. Thousands of people from across the north and beyond watched the Parade of hundreds of people of all ages in as it filled the town with colour, music, dancing and smiles. See HebWeb photo gallery.

The parade, complete with bands Handmade Samba Ba nd, Blowjangles, Les Panards Dansants, Black Sheikhs, Katumba, Orixa Bloco and Skiband as well as dancers and stilt-walkers, made its way through the town ending in Calder Holmes Park where there was a mini-festival with live bands, dancing and food stalls from local vendors. (1 July)

Tuesday, 25 June 2019

Handmade Parade: Once Upon a Time

Sunday, 30 June, 2019

Parade at 11.30 am

Musical finale and picnic in Calder Holmes Park 12.30 – 3.30pm

Strange and marvellous creatures will be dancing through the streets of Hebden Bridge on Sunday, when the twelfth annual Handmade Parade will take place.

Parade

Photos: HebWeb

Thousands of people from across Yorkshire and beyond are expected to watch the parade.

The parade features giant puppets made by professional artists, colourful costumes and community art made at open workshops by hundreds of participants. Live parade bands, specially choreographed dance as well as stilt-walkers of all ages combine to make this the summer parade of the year.

The theme this year is Once Upon a Time, with a tale of adventure set in the deep, dark, ancient forests of ancient Europe where the unwary traveller might meet curious folk and fantastic creatures from European folklore, myth and ritual. Be careful not to stray from the path …

The parade, complete with bands Handmade Samba Band, Skiband, Katumba, The Black Sheikhs, Orixa Bloco, Blowjangles and Les Panards Dansants as well as dancers and stilt-walkers, will set off at 11.30am from the Handmade Parade workshop in Victoria Road and head down Valley Road, through St George’s Square and Bridge Gate to Holme Street and finish in Calder Holmes Park, where there will be a mini-festival with live bands, dancing and food stalls from local vendors until 3.30pm.

Handmade Parade Artistic Director Kerith Ogden said: ‘The parade this year is going to be incredible. Our artists have been working round the clock and with devoted and brilliant members of our community to create a spectacle that is strange, wonderful and not to be missed!’

Parade

Photos: HebWeb

Hundreds of people have made their costumes for the parade at open workshops run by Handmade Parade’s professional artists. Participants are asked to be at the parade workshop at 10.30am on Sunday for the line-up, with the parade starting at 11.30am. Those taking part are asked to walk or use public transport as parking will be extremely limited. Anyone with access requirements should contact Email Katherine as soon as possible.

Organisers are urging visitors to this year’s parade to get to the park early and watch the parade from the comfort of their picnic blanket to avoid congestion on the streets. There will be traffic disruption between 11.30am and 12.45pm with the A646 closed between 12.00 and 12.30pm.

For more info on the parade go to Handmade Parade website

Handmade Parade