2 May 12 noon – 10pm
Sheffield General Cemetery
This year the Beltane Festival is back; bigger and better than ever and in conjunction with a brand new heritage craft event, The Commons Fair.
Following a year off in 2014 the Lynwood Gardens Fire Society are teaming up with local events producers Mesters Events to breathe new life into the Beltane Festival.
This year the events will be held at Sheffield General Cemetery with the kind permission of the Friends of the General Cemetery and will be free to attend. Donations will be appreciated and all money raised, including all profits from the bar, will go towards the preservation and maintenance of the Lynwood Gardens Nature Reserve.
Starting at midday on the 2nd May, The Commons Fair will fill the park with demonstrations and workshops around heritage crafts showcasing skills from around our city. Highlights include blacksmithing at a mobile forge, carving your own wooden spoon, making seed bombs and trying your hand at jewellery making.
The day will also see a range of stalls selling beautifully crafted delights and tasty food as well as a bar from which all profits will go to Lynwood Gardens. If that’s not enough to keep you entertained during the day we’ll also have a music stage featuring acoustic acts from across the city – keep an eye on the Facebook event to stay up to date.
After dark they’ll transition into the spectacular Beltane Festival. A hark back to wilder days when the changing of the seasons was marked by celebrations, dancing and fires. The procession will start at 8pm and culminate in a performance piece where the May Queen will be crowned and a wicker sculpture will be burnt. It’s an experience not to be missed.
Words: Sara Hill.
Banner image © Marianne Bolton.
Photography © Sara Hill.
