Festival by Angelique Hartigan
ORGANISERS OF this weekend’s Crystal Palace Overground festival are expecting 6,000 visitors to the Triangle area.
The four-day festival which starts today (Thursday) with the main festival hubs at Westow Park on Saturday (29 June) and around the Upper Norwood Triangle on Sunday (30 June) with fringe events being held around Crystal Palace.
The festival, which provides a platform for the many creative and diverse people, musicians, traders and artists of Crystal Palace, and showcases Crystal Palace, its people and all it has to offer to visitors from across London, and beyond, will feature the best in live music, spoken word, performing arts, comedy, art, food and shopping.
Local bars will host gigs and DJs, foodie events, and there will be a tea dance, an arts and crafts market, an open air cinema, and vintage and antique shopping – with some events having already sold out.
The line-up for the main music stage in Westow Park this Saturday – described as a “music festival for all the family to enjoy” includes Crystal Palace’s very own analogue electronic three-piece band Metamono; up-and-coming female-led five-piece and PRS For Music Songwriting Award winners Floodliners and eight-piece instrumental funk band The Hornets.
They are complemented by the high octane gypsy/punk/ska/Greek/ ragga/jazz mash-up Hallouminati; the soulful tones of Breezy Lee and her band, Jamie Cullen’s Big Audition winners Offbeat South, sunshine and melody four-piece band Civil Love and indie/blues singer/songwriter Joel Bullen.
As well as the performers on the outdoor music stage (11am to 6pm), visitors can spend the day enjoying the various park festival hubs that include performing arts, holistic activities, food tasting demos and a kids’ zone.
Festival organisers say this year’s festival is “bigger and better than ever thanks to sponsors” whose combined £11,500 sponsorship has enabled the festival team to programme the various festival hubs at Westow Park on 29 June with over 130 acts and artists taking to the park, streets and Upper Norwood venues over the four days.
Festival director Noreen Meehan said: “It really has been a massive community effort with key support from our local businesses sponsoring the festival. “The team are very excited about the biggest festival yet with not just the park event but tons of activities and events happening in the traders’ premises and venues of Upper Norwood.”
Gold sponsor and former festival organiser Andy Stem who runs the vintage eclectic shop Bambino’s on Church Road said: “I love being involved with the festival. “It’s a brilliant way to get everyone together from musicians to artists to local businesses.
“As a local business it’s an honour and a privilege to support it as I feel there is a need to put back into the community. “It also brings a lot of new people to Crystal Palace, who fall in love with it too.”
Transmitter magazine editor Andy Pontin, who has supported the festival since it started in 2007. says he sees the festival as being one of a growing number of cultural reference points that help people feel a part of something. Transmitter magazine are sponsoring the Performing Arts Tent, which will be showcasing an eclectic mix of local talent and oddities.
And despite being a relatively new business in Crystal Palace this is The Little Escape’s second year of being a festival sponsor.
“We jumped at the chance to sponsor the holistic zone as it’s such a fantastic event that gets the whole area involved, we’re really happy to support this,” said acupuncturist and business owner Lilja Katanka.
For the third year running, The Acorn Group head up as lead sponsor of the community arts festival, with Crystal Palace businesses Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward, The Little Escape, Smash Bang Wallop and The Transmitter magazine as platinum sponsors and Amphlett Lissimore, Bambino and Westow House as gold.
The White Hart, Willie Smarts, South of the River and Joanna’s restaurant are participating as silver sponsors.
Lover of Creating Flavours is food tasting tent sponsor, and The Grape & Grain, Crystal Palace and Norwood Chamber of Commerce, Domali Café and The Sparrowhawk are participating as supporting sponsors.
Laura House, operations manager for Acorn whose tent will be next to the main stage in Westow Park, said: “We’ve got lots in store this year, including the world’s smallest car, giveaways, games and cakes – we’re delighted to be a part of it.
“We feel strongly about supporting our local community and promoting everything our area has to offer so are delighted to again be the main sponsors of the event.
“As a group, Acorn commits some of its profits, time and support into appropriate neighbourhood projects, charities, schools and one-off events whether it be donating IT equipment to local schools, or completing a marathon.”
The festival was launched in 2007 by the Crystal Palace Triangle traders and has gone from strength to strength after its expansion to Westow Park three years ago.
Local people can support the festival by volunteering their time to the event, visit www.crystalpalacefestival.org/volunteer to get involved.
For the full festival line-up and programme of events, visit www.crystalpalacefestival.org - see also Diary Dates elsewhere on your News From Crystal Palace website.
Picture of ‘Crystal palace Festival’ by Angelique Hartigan courtesy of the artist. The painting is currently on display at the Bigger Picture Gallery hosted by Lightbox The Thicket, Anerley Hill. Open Saturdays/Sundays to 11 August. Angelique’s works will also be on display in Westow Park this Saturday.
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