Fresh feel to Sidmouth seafront for Folk Week
Sidmouth’s Folk Week will see some changes this year to where the trading stalls are sited along the Esplanade, in order to provide more room for performers to entertain the thousands of people who attend the event.
The move will bring a fresh feel to the seafront as the Folk Week organisers, Sidmouth Town Council, the police and East Devon District Council’s Licensing, Environmental Health and StreetScene services have been working in partnership together behind the scenes to plan the event.
They have reviewed the use of the space along the Esplanade to provide more space for performers and maintain the same number of trading stalls too. The trading pitches are being moved closer together and the pitch sites will remain the same size.
This will help accommodate the Folk Week’s popular performers and also mean there is less opportunity for unlicensed street traders such as hair braiders to set up.
It also means that for this year’s event - which is being held from Friday July 29 to Friday August 5 - there will be an additional performance space available at the Port Royal end on the Esplanade as well as two other areas reserved and marked out for the use of performers. One will be towards the western end of the Esplanade opposite the Bedford car park and the second will be opposite the Mocha Cafe and where Fore Street meets the Esplanade.
Sidmouth Folk Week will manage the performance spaces and display notice boards showing the events planned for the space each day. The Folk Week is keen to hear from any performers who would like the opportunity to use the spaces.
Council staff will be working closely with Folk Week organisers during this year’s event. The Esplanade will be closely monitored by council licensing and environmental health officers who will check street trading consents and prevent a repeat of the loud amplified music played by some performers during last year’s Folk Week. Following this year’s event, the new arrangements will be reviewed.
Information about trading on the seafront during Sidmouth Folk Week 2016 is available at www.eastdevon.gov.uk/sidmouth-folk-week
For enquiries about using the performance spaces, visit the Sidmouth Folk Week 2016 website at www.sidmouthfolkweek.co.uk
