Over 4,000 local school children have been invited to take part in a special competition to celebrate this year’s Nelson Food & Drink Festival, which takes place this Saturday in Nelson Town Centre.
Students from 12 Primary Schools and eight Nurseries are being challenged to colour and decorate a chef’s hat, which will be paraded at the event.
Those taking part are being invited to meet outside Nelson Library at 10am on Saturday, from where a procession will be led by the world famous Accrington Pipe Band, with those taking part getting the chance to show off their decorated chef hats.
Following the parade, all entries will be displayed inside Nelson Library for judging, at 11am. Prizes include £50 cash for first place, £25 cash for second place and £20 cash for third place.
Organisers of the Food Festival, Nelson Town Council, are encouraging those taking part in the competition to have fun whilst decorating and colouring in their hats, showing as much creativity as possible.
The competition parade will kick start a fantastic day of activities on Saturday (10am – 4pm), with something for all the family to enjoy.
Social media star, Shabaz Ali also known as ‘Shabaz Says’, will compere the free-to-attend event and will also be offering book signings on the day.
There will also be over 30 food and drink stalls, offering everything from cheese and pies, to Caribbean and Turkish food.
Alongside the food and drink stalls, there will be live cooking demonstrations on the main stage. Local Caribbean chef, Mama Shar, will get things underway at 11:30am with loaded Caribbean fried dumplings, before Masterchef: The Professionals finalist Matt Willdigg takes centre stage at 1:30pm, and then authentic Asian food experts Fazila Foods show onlookers how to make their popular samosas and spring rolls.
Between 10am and 4pm there will also be henna and face painting throughout the day, while there will also be a an enthralling performance by Bollywood dancers at 12:30pm in front of the main cooking demonstration stage.
Cllr Ruby Anwar, Chair of Nelson Town Council’s Events Committee, said: “This competition is a fantastic way to engage with our local school children and their families, and we are so excited to see all the entries.
“Saturday will be a fantastic day in Nelson Town Centre, we have so much going on and we would like to invite both local people and those from further afield to come and enjoy a fantastic day of fun and amazing food.”
To stay up-to-date with the 2024 Nelson Food & Drink Festival, visit: www.nelsonfoodfestival.co.uk and the Nelson Food Festival Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nelsonfoodfestival
