Alternative 'Torchlight' event to be held in Kendal (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Alternative 'Torchlight' event to be held in Kendal

3:29pm Monday 15th October 2012 in News

A TWO-DAY spectacle of music and family fun featuring star guests will be held in Kendal this weekend.

The Keep The Flame group has organised the event to make up for the loss of this year’s Torchlight Carnival.

After the annual parade was axed by organisers, Keep The Flame launched a fund-raising drive to save it and hoped delaying it a month would buy them extra time.

But the clock was against them, so now the voluntary group has pooled its resources and decided to hold an alternative event in the Westmorland Shopping Centre.

On Friday between 6pm and 9pm the centre will be taken over by live music, dancers, a magician, cheerleaders, Blue Dog Music School, a flash mob, plus stalls, food, activities and other entertainment.

Madcap dancer and Britain’s Got Talent finalist Steven Hall and Team GB water polo Olympian Glen Robinson, of Kendal, will be special guests.

And classic cars will be on display on Saturday between 10am and 4pm.

There will be a small fee for some of the activities with proceeds and donations from the weekend being split between South Lakeland charities and next year’s Kendal Torchlight Carnival.

The carnival was cancelled for the first time in its 42-year history after a volunteer and cash shortage.

But organisers have confirmed it will return next year.

Kendal Town Council has already set aside £10,000 towards putting it on in September 2013.