THIS year’s Wisbech Rose Fair will include fabulous displays of blooms in churches around the town - and a parade of floats will create a real festival atmosphere.
THIS year’s Wisbech Rose Fair will include fabulous displays of blooms in churches around the town - and a parade of floats will create a real festival atmosphere.
The event - East Anglia’s premier flower festival - will also coincide with the 900th anniversary of St Peter and St Paul’s Church where the event began more than 40 years ago.
The five-day festival is the pride of Wisbech and runs from Wednesday June 29 until Sunday July 3.
Flower arrangements in St Peter and St Paul’s Church will have the theme “milestones” and from Wednesday to Saturday the church gardens will host a wide variety of stalls selling produce and plants, cakes and preserves, crafts, gifts and bric-a-brac.
There will be a stall in church selling souvenirs and memorabilia marking the 900th anniversary; Choral Evensong will take place from Wednesday to Saturday at 4.30pm, and on Sunday the church will host a civic service at 10am.
There is free entry to a preview evening on Tuesday June 28 from 7.30-9pm, with music from the Jazzmin Dixieland Band.
Other churches decked with floral displays for the festival include Trinity Methodist Church, the Baptist Church in Hill Street and the United Reformed Church in Castle Square. Entry is free to all the flower festival venues; St Peter’s and Trinity Methodist have lunches, strawberry teas and light refreshments.
New for this year’s festival is an international market on Friday July 1; with food, cards and clothes from various Eastern European countries on offer.
On Saturday, a parade of floats with the theme of historic events, goes through town at 11am and 2pm.
Other attractions include entertainment by schools in Museum Square, exhibitions in Wisbech Museum, an art exhibition in Wisbech Castle and a display of historic vehicles in St Peter’s car park.
A shuttle bus and park and ride scheme provide easy access to the town during the festival; from Wednesday to Friday frequent buses link free park and ride car parks at Elm Road Retail Park and Elgood’s Brewery.
On Saturday, buses run at 10-minute intervals between Elm Road and the town centre.
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