The village fête in the heart of London readies for its 10th birthday
How do you deliver a traditional village fête in the heart of London? For 30,000 people?
A quintessential local festival lives or dies on its ability to conjure up that hallmark wholesome, homemade atmosphere. But when your 'village' is southeast London and your community is sometimes difficult to define, that's easier said than done.
A well-oiled machine it must be. But any evidence of that is best disguised to maintain an all-important air of rambling, free-range locality. Whatever the secret, it is certainly in abundance in the case of Greenwich Peninsula's Urban Village Fete where an eclectic mix of folk music and farmers' markets, dog shows and three-legged races provides the perfect, seemingly organic foil for what is actually a meticulously planned all-day programme.
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