A DAY long carnival with music, arts, crafts and a magical street performance is set to take place this month.

Featuring a massive peddle powered "Stephenson's Rocket" train, a huge chicken and 3 soaring swallows, glass making, beekeeping, lino printing, a copper samovar, two acrobatic cats and a tap-dancing canary plus an amazing parade led by Mrs Beecham's exploding monster, the carnival will take place on Saturday, April 29 and will be free for all.

The event, produced by Walk the Plank, has the following timetable:

Main Stage

  • 11.30am - 12pm St Helens Concert Band
  • 1.05pm - 1.30pm Splintered Ukes
  • 2pm - 2.30pm Mr Swing
  • 2.30pm Parade arrival
  • 2.40pm - 2.50pm Haydock Brass Band
  • 3.10pm - 3.25pm Splintered Ukes
  • 3.55pm - 4.30pm Mr Swing

Dance Floor

  • 11.15am - 11.25am Birchley St Mary's School Choir
  • 11.30am - 12pm Town Hall Tea Dancers
  • 12.05pm - 12.20pm Hip Hop Battle UC Crew
  • 1.30pm - 2pm Nachdar Sansaar
  • 2.30pm - 2.45pm Arrival Mr Beecham and Speeches
  • 2.50pm - 3.10pm Nachdar Sansaar
  • 3.25pm - 3.35pm Watch this Space
  • 3.35pm - 3.55pm Nachdar Sansaar and Helen O Grady

 

Walkabout

  • 11.15am -11.40am A variety of walk about performances - everything from a stilt walking Drag Queen Bee and a 10-foot chicken
  • 11.40am - 12pm Tea Set
  • 1.05pm - 1.30pm Walkabout performances
  • 3.10pm - 3.35pm Tea Set and walkabout performances
  • 3.55pm - 4.30pm Walkabout performances

 

Shows

  • 10.30am - 11.15am L'Hotel - Cartoon Capers
  • 11.30am - 12pm Tea and performance from And Now's Copper Samovar and The Tea Set
  • 12.20pm - 1.05pm L'Hotel - Cartoon Capers
  • 1.30pm - 2pm And Now serving Tea from their Copper Samovar
  • 3.10pm - 3.35pm Tea and performance from And Now's Copper Samovar and The Tea Set
  • 3.55pm - 4.30pm And Now serving tea from their Copper Samovar

 

Parade

  • 1.15pm - 1.45pm Trinity Band as the parade muster
  • 2.00pm - 2.30pm Parade with community groups and St Helens Town Band

 

Throughout the Day (10.30am - 5pm)

  • Try Not Buy Local Artist Market - exhibitions, workshops, art displays, face painting and more
  • Find out about Recharged, (led by Redock and Roger Hill, part of The Creative Underground project, funded through National Lottery Heritage Fund)
  • Share your own memories of creative St Helens during the 1982-1995 period
  • Enjoy photo displays (window of Rebel), archive films and photos as part of Recharged (Parish Church)
  • Heritage Day at St Helens Book Stop and free Glass Blowing demonstrations at the World of Glass (3pm)