Sunderland Food and Drink Festival: All you need to know
The Sunderland Food and Drink Festival will start on Friday, June 6, and continue until Sunday across Keel Square, High Street West, and Market Square.
The event promises an array of street food stands and vendors, featuring a variety of culinary delights from countries such as Greece, Germany, the United States, Turkey, Mexico, and several Caribbean and Asian regions.
Visitors can also indulge in sweet treats ranging from homemade cakes to fudge.
A ‘vibrant’ schedule of events will accompany the food fair, beginning on Friday at 11 am on the main stage at Keel Square, with a performance by Rock Choir.
There will be food, drink . . . and entertainment (Image: Supplied)
Throughout the day, various musicians and DJs will perform, culminating in a 6 pm performance by local singer Sharna Laidlow, who gained fame on the X Factor as part of the duo He Knows She Knows.
All vendor stalls along High Street West will be open on Friday, with local DJ, Jimi Dingwall, entertaining visitors at the pop-up stage in Market Square between 11 am and 3 pm.
As June is Pride Month, Saturday will feature a special Pride in Sunderland event, with Pride Radio playing popular tunes at Market Square, assisted by drag queens Sugar and Spice.
Keel Square will host musical performances throughout the day, starting at 10 am and ending at 6 pm with an ABBA tribute act, Voulez 2.
Sunday will see Market Square transformed for all things African, courtesy of an Afrobeats pop-up.
Running from 10 am until 4 pm, the day kicks off with traditional African drumming by the Igba Drummers, a masquerade appearance, and a welcome from the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Melanie Thornton, and the Deputy Mayoress, Carol Hopps.
The event will be hosted by DJs Hypeman Best and Hypeman Blaze.
An African-inspired fashion show and giveaways will also be part of the day.
The festival will introduce a Green Living Zone for the first time, providing information on sustainability, upcycling, and environmental consciousness.
Visitors can learn about electric vehicles, solar energy, hot composting, and the work of Big Bear Clean Ups in addressing litter and supporting animals in Asia.
The Frames Festival pop-up will offer innovative ideas to give picture frames a new lease of life.
A variety of hands-on activities are planned, including arts and crafts for children, as well as entertainment and walkabout characters such as the Strolling Gardeners and Liver Cottage on Saturday.
On Sunday, there will be an opportunity to find some preloved plushies, and a heritage bus will ferry people from Keel Square to the Classic Car Show at Seaburn Recreation Ground.
Roberta Redecke, marketing and events manager at Sunderland BID, which organises the festival, believes this year will be the best one so far.
Ms Redecke said: “Last year’s event attracted around 30,000 people, and we hope that it will be an even bigger hit this time round.
“We’ve introduced a whole host of new elements along with everyone’s favourite activities, and we look forward to seeing thousands of people come along and have an amazing time.”
For the full programme, including all timings and locations, visit www.sunderlandfooddrinkfest.co.uk.