A month-long festival celebrating the culture and diversity of Calderdale is coming to the west Halifax area this June.
Flavourfest brings together events and activities within the Park and Warley areas of Calderdale, which are some of the most culturally vibrant and distinctive places in the borough.
The festival is supported by Calderdale Council, with activities organised and delivered by local communities. The packed programme of events includes opportunities to celebrate the past, present and future of the area, with heritage walks, cooking workshops, a showcase of vintage and contemporary fashions and wellbeing activities.
There’s something for everyone, including family fun days in People’s Park (1 June) and West View Park (18 June); nostalgia events, including many associated with the Queen’s jubilee; and group events aimed at reducing loneliness and boosting mental health and wellbeing.
Over the final weekend of the month (25 and 26 June), local people will be able to enjoy the Flavourfest Local Market, which will include street food, local produce, home baking, art and handmade crafts, jewellery, clothes, entertainment and more. This centrepiece event, held outside Calderdale College, will showcase the diversity of businesses in the Calderdale area and especially within the Park and Warley wards.
Most events during the month are free and host locations include the Outback Community Kitchen and Garden on Lightowler Road; King Cross Library; St Augustine’s Centre; and Hanson Lane Enterprise Centre. For the full line up of events, host venues and information about booking (where necessary), view the programme at www.flavourfest.org(external link)
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Strategy, Cllr Jane Scullion, said:
“The Flavourfest festival is an opportunity for people to come together and enjoy the many diverse offerings of the Park and Warley area of Calderdale. The west Halifax area is rich in heritage, community spirt, enterprise and kindness and we want to showcase everything the area has to offer within this packed programme of events.
“Many events are focused around food, with cooking demonstrations, workshops and tastings, with an opportunity to try the many varied cuisines available across the area. The festival will also showcase the many community groups that provide important activities supporting people of every age and background, maximising opportunities for local people to enjoy, learn and experience a larger life.”
The Flavourfest event is part of the Park and Warley Inclusive Economy Project, a pilot project testing how local investment and can build community wealth and increase economic activity in the area. The approach is aspirational and builds on the enterprise and talent that already exists in the community. Find out more at https://www.calderdale.gov.uk/v2/residents/community-and-living/inclusive-economy-strategy/park-warley-project
A more locally inclusive economy is part of Vision 2024 and Flavourfest celebrates the key themes of the Vision, supporting the borough’s distinctive, kind and resilient communities and its talented and enterprising local businesses.