LOCAL LIFE
Mill Road Winter Fair Returns! QUALITY STREET A CELEBRATION OF LOCAL CULTURE AND TALENT,
MILL ROAD WINTER FAIR HAS HERALDED THE START OF CHRISTMAS IN CAMBRIDGE SINCE 2005 – HERE’S WHAT TO EXPECT THIS YEAR
performers in Cambridge, and this year is no exception. Live music hotspots include Ditchburn Place, St Barnabas Church, the Argyle Street Housing Co-operative and the area around the Salisbury Club – but you’ll also find buskers, circus performers, dancers and storytellers along Mill Road throughout the day. Look forward to an enthralling line-up of experiences, beginning with a fire engine pull from East Road to Mill Road Bridge at 10.30am. At midday, don’t miss the marching band parade – a true Winter Fair staple – which will see young people from the area bring the streets to life with live music and dancing. The day’s festivities will conclude with a performance by Arco Iris, a local samba band that was one of the first acts to ever perform at Mill Road Winter Fair. As well as welcoming back regular and much-loved partners such as Cambridge Hands-On Science, the University of Cambridge Museums and Cambridge 105 Radio, there will also be some new additions to look out for in 2022. This includes a full day of film screenings at the ARU Drama Studio at the end of Covent Garden, as well as group yoga sessions at the newly refurbished Salvation Army Centre on Tenison Road. Run entirely by volunteers and supported by the charity Love Mill Road – set up in 2019 to fund projects in the neighbourhood that tackle inequality, enhance the environment and support local arts and culture – the Winter Fair perfectly encapsulates the community spirit that’s an integral part of Mill Road’s heritage. It’s also the ideal way to kickstart the merriment of the month of Christmas – a festive treat not to miss.
ill Road has been at the centre of a thriving Cambridge neighbourhood
since the Victorian times, when relatively cheap housing and plentiful work enticed railway workers and migrants to settle in the area. Today, this multicultural heritage is evidenced in the wonderful mix of shops and independent businesses that give the road its unique character. Mill Road Winter Fair offers local shopkeepers, business owners and charities the opportunity to take to the streets and share Mill Road’s rich community spirit with locals and visitors alike. Forced to take a two-year hiatus during the Covid-19 pandemic, the fair returns on 3 December and is set to be a stellar event in this year’s Christmas calendar. “It’s so encouraging to once again be able to celebrate this iconic event that plays such an important role in the local community and Mill Road’s culture,” says committee member Kirsty. “We are really looking forward to welcoming back lots of familiar events, faces and sounds, as well as some exciting additions.” True to its roots, this year’s Winter Fair will see community centres, mosques, churches, cafes, pubs and shops throwing wide their doors to serve hot food, mulled wine and festive activities for all ages. A selection of over 100 stalls will offer tasty treats, as well as unique and sustainable gifts – making the fair an ideal destination for blitzing your Christmas shopping. On Donkey Common and Petersfield Green, expect to find an assortment of craft and food stalls – along with a mysterious, meditative labyrinth! Mill Road Winter Fair is known for spotlighting some of the best live
It’s encouraging to once again be able to celebrate this iconic event
SOMETHING IN THE AIR Mill Road Winter Fair is an energetic community celebration, attracting thousands of visitors to the bustling street. Pop along for great food, entertainment and stalls
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK DECEMBER 2022 27
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