Curious things are happening for this year’s Eccles Festival to celebrate 150 years since the publication of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
On Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 September, Eccles will come alive with street acts, live music, a teenage market, shopping, festival stalls, tea rituals and a Cheshire cat comedy grin.
It’s all part of the annual Love Eccles Festival which this year will be run with an Alice in Wonderland theme in honour of the great novelist Lewis Carroll.
Deputy Mayor Councillor David Lancaster said: “This year’s festival promises to be lots of fun with plenty to do for all the family.
“Word is already spreading on the streets and the community has started to come together to design costumes for the wonderland parade, rehearse for a play in the Queen of Hearts garden and train their dog to take part in the Homeless Hounds Companion Dog Show.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in Eccles before and it is certainly not to be missed.”
Festival preparations kicked this week at Eccles Town Hall, where families can come together to help make costumes for the festival.
Sessions take place on Tuesday 25, Wednesday 26 and Friday 27 August from noon until 3pm and are open to all.
On Saturday 5 September the festival officially begins and Eccles Library is throwing open its doors for children under eight who want to have their faces painted like a Cheshire cat and make a mad hat.
The wonderland parade starts at Eccles Station at 2pm and will see people in Alice in Wonderland fancy dress march through the town centre.
Barton Theatre Company will put on a show at 2pm in the Narbonne Gardens and the Mad Hatters tea party will take place at Eccles Town Hall from 2.30pm to 4pm.
Festival stalls, music, dance and fairground rides will be open at various times throughout the weekend.
Find out more at the Eccles Festival Facebook page
