Countdown to St George's Festival
Final preparations are underway for this year's first-of-its-kind St George's Festival in March on Sunday 23 April.


Check out the festival attractions in the St George's Event Programme (PDF) [1MB]
There are also lots of events and activities local people can still get involved with in the run-up to the main event.
All week:
Art exhibition
An art exhibition 'Hooked!' by March's Neale Wade Academy art club will be on display at March Community Centre, from Saturday 15 April to Friday 21 April.
The students have learned lino-printing amongst other techniques, some of which have been inspired by images of March. This includes recognisable street scenes, historic features and an array of interesting March architectural buildings.
Exhibition opening times are 9am to 5pm.
Colouring competition
A St George's Festival colouring competition is running up until the main event. Entry forms are available from March library and to download here: St George's Colouring Competition (PDF) [3MB] . Art supply vouchers will be awarded as prizes in several age categories.
Entries must be returned to March Library by 2pm on Sunday 23 April.
Saturday 22 April:
Walking poetry workshop
Marketplace Creative People & Places has commissioned poet Charley Genever to take groups on a walk around March, discovering the town with new eyes, creating their own poem and recording the finished piece using 20Twenty Production's state-of-the-art recording equipment.
The second of two workshops is being held on Saturday 22 April from 10am to 2pm - meet at March Town Hall.
Suitable for all levels of writer, aged 14+. Lunch will also be provided.
Booking is essential via Eventbrite at: bit.ly/40Lz1eL
Dragon scale screen printing workshop
The dragon scale screen printing workshops with Artist Ricki Outis have proved really popular, but there are still a few spaces left on the last workshop on Saturday 22 April.
Participants get to create a scale to contribute to the dragon being paraded at the centre of the St George's Festival using a screen printing technique. You also get to print your design on to a t-shirt to take home. The activity is open to all ages and abilities.
- 10am, book via: Screen Printing workshops
- 1.30pm, book via: Screen Printing workshops
Hawkins High School Reunion 1985
A 'Stranger Things' inspired event. Escape Vecna through the corridors of Hawkins High School and enter retro 1985. With live music, doodles and Eggo's! Drop-in anytime between 10.30am - 2.30pm - free of charge, no need to book.
Main event - Sunday 23 April
The festival will culminate on Sunday 23 April, with a 10am to 4pm event open-to-all in and around March Library, West End Park and City Road car park.
The day will kick off with a 'dragon march' where a giant dragon puppet created from scales made at community events with artists Cary and Ricki Outis - commissioned by MarketPlace Creative People & Places - will parade from the bandstand in West End Park, through the park and back to the Library Mound.
The parade will begin at 10am and local community groups are invited to join in.
The day will include:
- arts, crafts and food stalls
- live music
- school performances
- fun fair rides, inflatables and free climbing wall
- circus skills
- samba drumming workshops
- miniature golf
- falconry displays
- static scooter club displays
- storytelling
- and much more!
Download the St George's Event Programme (PDF) [1MB]
Parking and access
City Road Lorry Park will be closed from 5pm on Saturday 22 April to 7.30pm on Sunday 23 April.
The car park at George Campbell Leisure Centre and March Library, and car parking along The Brewin Chase, will also be closed to traffic from 5am to 7.30pm Sunday 23 April.
There will also be reduced parking at City Road Car Park.
Visitors are encouraged to walk or cycle to the event where possible.
Available parking on the day:
Car Park | Available spaces | Distance | Walking |
---|---|---|---|
City Road | 50 (+ 20 disabled) | 0.1 miles | 2 minutes |
Riverside GP Practice | 28 (+ 3 disabled) | 0.2 miles | 4 minutes |
Market Place | 20 (+ 3 disabled) | 0.2 miles | 4 minutes |
March Community Centre | 40 | 0.3 miles | 6 minutes |
Darthill Road | 73 | 0.3 miles | 6 minutes |
Robingoodfellows Lane | 10 | 0.4 miles | 7 minutes |
Fenland Hall | 100 | 0.7 miles | 14 minutes |
St George's Festival has been organised in partnership with March Events Committee, MarketPlace - Creative People & Places, March Library, The Library Presents, 20Twenty Productions and Cambridgeshire Skills to deliver the St George's Festival.
This year's St George's event is slightly different to normal due to the ongoing transformation works in March town centre.