Words: James Corah
After hosting a series of virtual events in July 2020, Kirkstall Festival returns to Kirkstall Abbey in 2021 for a family friendly Mini Kirkstall Festival.
As it will not be possible to have a usual full-day Festival, the organising volunteers have put together the Mini Festival for the community. The Mini Festival will take place over two days, Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th July 2021, with four timed sessions over the weekend.
This will be a smaller event by far aimed at families and closely following Covid guidelines.
There will be about 30 stalls, some food and soft drinks on sale, children’s games and live music. Local community group Music From The Attic will be the Festival headliners for all four sessions, and there will be some regular performers.
The event will very much be for the community of Kirkstall who have come together amazingly during the pandemic.
As the event will take place within the railings of Kirkstall Abbey and the ruins, it is required that is an entry by ticket only event.
Tickets will be priced at £2 per adult (with a 30p booking fee). Children under the age of eleven (11) will be free. For both of the event days there will be two sessions 10am – 2pm and 3pm – 7pm, each limited to 500 people per session, so book early and please bring a face mask with you if still required to or if you feel safer doing so.
Tickets will become available in the coming days, following an announcement on Facebook.
Kirkstall Mini Festival will be following all relevant Covid guidelines as they are required to do at the time of the event.
Parking is available on the playing field next to the Abbey Museum car park, no vehicles are allowed within the Abbey grounds.
No alcohol will be on sale during the event and no alcohol will be allowed to be brought into the event.
While it will be a very different than usual event for Kirkstall Festival, the team of volunteers are glad to be putting on an event for the community as we all take a step towards normal activities.