SussexFest promises fun day on the Cathedral Green

A vibrant programme has been lined up for Sunday, June 14 from 11am-4pm, building on the success of TrinityFest, a similar event last year which came as part of the Cathedral’s 950th anniversary celebrations.

Rosie Bradberry, creative learning manager at Chichester Cathedral, said: “It was a big community celebration last year and we all enjoyed it so much. It was a wonderful coming together on the Cathedral Green and within 30 seconds of closing it, we were thinking we had to do it again this year. The Cathedral is both geographically and symbolically the centre of Chichester, and the Cathedral is the cathedral church of the diocese. We've got this wonderful physical space that we can capitalise on to reach out and to bring everyone together, and it's so important to do that. Joy is so important because at times it feels like we are living in heavy and complex times. And the times are heavy and complex but this is great fun and it brings a great sense of community. It just felt like a complete no-brainer to come back and to do it again.

“We just needed a new name and we fell on SussexFest as being really perfect. There is just so much going on in the city and around the city that we can be so proud of, all those things that make this area so unique, and so it just felt really natural to bring the community together.”

It was a question of finding a balance between bringing back the elements which made it all work so well last year and creating something new, Rosie said: “We have got wonderful organisations that we work in partnership with that we have invited back, people like the Novium Museum and Chichester Library. So in some ways we are replicating but we're also opening it up to other organisations that have had an impact on the city both within the city and further afield. We have got a couple of tractors coming along linking with the county’s agricultural roots and we've also got new partners joining us from Tangmere Aviation Museum. It's about thinking about nurturing and educating our young people about what happened in the past and how we can learn from that but also about how we can hope for the future.

“And we've also got the Festival of Chichester joining us again, launching a month of arts and culture in the city, again showing what a special place Chichester is to live and work in.”

On the day, a wide range of organisations will deliver hands-on activities and interactive experiences throughout the day. Participants include Fishbourne Roman Palace, Chichester Library, The Novium Museum, Chichester Festival Theatre and JAM Café. They are joined by the Festival of Chichester, Tangmere Aviation Museum, Henry Adams, Stonepillow, LifeCentre, Home-Start and Chichester Rotary.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to observe Chichester Cathedral’s resident peregrine falcons through a telescope, offering a rare and memorable insight into one of the city’s most iconic wildlife features.

A lively programme of performances will take place throughout the day:

• 11am – Once upon a Roleplay, Chichester Festival Theatre

• 12pm – Rosemary Bell School of Dance

• 1pm – Steel Pan Duo

• 2pm – Morris Dancers, Fishbourne

• 3pm – Big Notes Adult Choir

Family-friendly entertainment will be at the heart of the day, with highlights including Bubbles Man UK and free face-painting with Marshie Sparkles. A tractor will also be on display from Sussex’s Woodhorn Farm. A selection of local food traders will be serving throughout the event, including E&J Syrian Cuisine, Whisk Art, Crepe Britain and the Cloisters Kitchen and Garden at Chichester Cathedral. City-centre food and drink businesses will also be putting on special deals for during and after the event with Chichester BID.

SussexFest is supported by Chichester City Council, Chichester District Council and Chichester Business Improvement District (BID).