A colourful carnival procession of lollipop men and women and hundreds of children will lead the way to a weekend of free fun at the Mayor’s Newham Show.
The extravaganza will take place this weekend, July 13 and 14, from 12 noon to 6pm at Central Park in High Street South, East Ham.
The popular annual event has something for everyone including a beach and donkey rides, a village fete, live music and cabaret, sports, food from around the world and a children’s area.
This year, BBC children’s television sensations the ZingZillas will be headlining on the main stage on Sunday at 12.25pm and singing a selection of their much loved hits. Popular children’s TV presenters Sid Sloane and Andy Day will be in action on Saturday.
Throughout both days, the children’s stage will feature non-stop live entertainment with performances from Mr Mojo, the Cosmic Sausages and schoolchildren from Newham’s Every Child a Musician programme.
The annual carnival starts at 2pm on Saturday following a route through the streets of East Ham before finishing in Central Park. Newham’s lollipop men and women will be marching alongside in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the school crossing service in London. Residents are encouraged to show their support for their local school’s lollipop man or woman.
The theme of the carnival is the changing of the four seasons representing Newham’s regeneration and transformation. Elements of the Opening and Closing ceremonies of the 2012 Games will also be replicated as winged cyclists and new creations using recycled props from the Games ceremonies join the procession.
Residents can view the Newham Carnival on the junction of White Horse Road and High Street South on Saturday at 2pm or anywhere else on the route. It will start at White Horse Road before travelling north along High Street South, High Street North, and then via Ron Leighton Way, Barking Road, Bartle Road and back into Central Park
Although the Mayor’s Newham Show is a family friendly event, there’s plenty on offer for adults, with or without children. This includes live music from Elvis tribute act Sal Bashir, band Candy Apple Blue, singer Sharn Adela and the Aveley and Newham Brass Band.
There are also participation sports, a beer garden and opportunities to take part in Best in Show contests with prizes for best tasting and best decorated cakes, best chutney and best jam. You can also have your picture taken with an Olympic and Paralympic torch.
Sunday’s programme will see the Time to Shine talent quest final. Nine talented performers who have previously auditioned in Newham’s community forum areas will take to the main stage to compete for a top prize of £1,000. The judges include Yasmin Evans from BBC Radio 1xtra’s breakfast show.
Residents visiting the show will also have the chance to win tickets to Sunday night’s Yahoo! Wireless festival headlined by Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake at Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Mayor Sir Robin Wales said: “Newham does more than any other borough to provide opportunities for people to get together and this year is no different. The Mayor’s Newham Show is one of the highlights for the year and this will be a fantastic weekend with an exciting programme of free entertainment that the whole family can enjoy. I encourage all residents to come along and make it an event to remember.
“I know the children in the carnival have been working hard on their costumes with help from teachers and other volunteers. I am also very proud of our lollipop men and women who will be taking part. They do an important job keeping our children safe and I am delighted we can pay tribute to them in this way.”
To find out more about the Mayor’s Newham Show or other summer events visit www.newham.com/summer
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