All the fun of a midsummer fair for Market Drayton
A midsummer fair to support Market Drayton's annual arts festival will be held next week.
The Drayton Artsfest will return in October, but since the withdrawal of grants from the Jean Jackson Trust and Shropshire Council, organisers have needed to fund the festival's insurance and dozens of activities through other means.
Director Suzanne Edwards explained: "Two years ago we were told that we were no longer going to receive the wonderful £3,500 grant that we had from the Jean Jackson trust.
"It was basically the majority of the funding behind the Artsfest so that was a blow.
"We chatted about it, we thought 'do we pull the Artsfest?' We thought it would be a terrible shame.
"Market Drayton has a catalogue of things that have started up and then fallen over, we thought we would carry on but we would have to raise money."
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The team decided on a new midsummer fair event in aid of the Artsfest, which takes about £4,500 to run each year.
The first fair was a success, and raised hundreds of pounds towards the total that helped the Artsfest go ahead after all.
Now the team are preparing to put on a bigger and better fair on June 22, at the Phoenix Centre. The event will run from noon to 4pm.
It will include an archery competition and 'have a go' sessions, traditional sideshows, a photo booth, the usual stalls selling cakes, plants and pre-loved items, a tombola and raffle and much more.
George the giant gingerbread man will be on hand throughout the event to hand out biscuits.
There will also be live entertainment including performances from the Little Voices and A Choired Taste choirs. Town councillor Mike Smith will be the master of ceremonies.
Entry will cost £2 for individuals and £5 for family entry, available to groups of two adults and their children.
Suzanne also said the fair would be an opportunity for people of Market Drayton and further afield to see the Phoenix Centre, which he said was an under-used asset to the town.
