Friday - Sunday
1pm - 12 Midnight
21st - 23rd
August 2009
About Us
What is the Eastern European Festival?
The Eastern European Festival is a major cultural event, which will allow visitors to savour the culture and customs of our friends from Eastern Europe for one glorious weekend in the middle of the English summer.
From Friday 21st August until Sunday 23rd August 2009, Newark Showground in Nottinghamshire, in the East Midlands of the UK, will be transformed for a three-day festival that will showcase the sights, sounds and tastes of 13 Eastern European countries, all of which have large communities living and working in Britain.
What can visitors expect from the Festival?
Visitors will be able to walk through market stalls, refreshment areas and events organised by the 13 participating countries. As though they have taken a train across Eastern Europe, they will cross borders from one country to another to be greeted by people in national costumes, as well as delicious food, authentic crafts and traditional music. There will be something new at every turn.
The Eastern European Festival is a family event. With this in mind, there will be dedicated facilities in the Kids Zone to keep children of all ages entertained, as well as plenty for the grown-ups to see and enjoy.
We are planning to host an Eastern European Football Cup (complete with a genuine European Cup, which will be awarded to the winning team). As we get more interested parties, we also hope to give the younger children and teenagers their own football tournaments. A strong man event will also take place over the weekend, with contestants having been invited from all over Europe.
We will be organising events such as National Dress competitions and fashion shows throughout the weekend, and visitors will be able to purchase an array of authentic goods - such as food and gifts - from the many market stalls, which will be situated according to the position of the traders’ home country on a map of Eastern Europe.
Who is the festival for?
This is the first event in the UK to really celebrate the wealth of cultural traditions and customs originating from Eastern Europe. Britain is now home to a significant number of Eastern Europeans who are living and working across the country. The festival will give people from these communities a chance to celebrate their heritage, spend time with their friends and families, and acknowledge their home country’s longstanding associations with the UK.
The festival organisers hope that visitors will feel connected to their home lands through the sights and sounds around them. Parents will have a chance to show their children the traditional dresses and foods of their grandparents, while the grandparents will have the pleasure of seeing their culture and customs passed on to the next generation.
It is anticipated that visitors will come from throughout Britain and across the globe to experience - in all its colour and splendour - the cultural heritage and richness of Eastern Europe. People from all walks of life and nationalities are welcome.
Which countries will be represented at the festival?
A total of 13 Eastern European countries will be represented at the festival. These are: Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania, Ukraine and Russia.
All the countries, apart from the Ukraine, joined the European Union when it expanded in 2004 and 2007.
Eastern Europe and the UK
The war years saw a bond form between Britain and the lost peoples of Eastern Europe. The town of Newark, where the event will take place, perfectly exemplifies this bond as it is the site of a large cemetery containing the graves of Polish war heroes. Visitors to the Eastern European Festival will be encouraged to take time out to pay their respects and visit the final resting place of these young men who gave their lives as the ultimate sacrifice.
These days, the ties between Eastern Europe and Britain are more industrial with a large number of young, hard working families currently residing in the UK. This festival gives these people a chance to invite the older generations from home to spend a few days together, and to celebrate – with fun and laughter - the unique cultures and customs, food and drink that come from their parent countries in Eastern Europe.
Where will the festival take place?
Newark Showground in one of the most sought after events’ venues in the UK because of its size, flexibility and choice of facilities. It is also ideally situated near Nottingham in the East Midlands, making it accessible by road (via the M1 and A1), rail and air – this means that it is within travelling distance for all of Eastern Europe’s biggest communities living and working in Britain, as well as friends and family coming in from abroad.
Nottingham’s most infamous international star is Robin Hood, while the market town of Newark is steeped in history dating back to the 12th century. Newark also has strong historical connections to Eastern Europe, as evidenced by the large number of Polish war graves in the cemetery.
See ‘Location and Directions’ for more information.
Where can festival goers stay?
The event wouldn’t be a festival without the opportunity to camp and enjoy the great outdoors for the weekend. As well as a camp site with spaces for tents, it is possible for visitors to bring their own caravan or camper van – for individual prices and site reservations, please visit www.eefestival.com. The camp site has excellent facilities, as well as a site shop in case there’s anything visitors may have forgotten.
Camping isn’t for everyone and, with this in mind, the festival organisers have negotiated some discounted rates with local hotels and B&Bs through Experience Nottinghamshire (www.visitnottingham.com).
As organisers are expecting a large number of people to attend the event, festival goers are advised to reserve their camping spaces or hotel / bed and breakfast accommodation early to avoid disappointment.
You can find out more about possible accommodation options by visiting www.eefestival.com.
Opportunities for Traders
As visitors move from one country area to another, they will be met with the sights and smells unique to each region. A number of market stalls have been allocated to traders representing each participating country and there is the opportunity for individuals to sell traditional cuisine, crafts and goods from their home country.
Traders are welcome to get their whole families involved in setting up a stall. The festival organisers encourage any ideas for the sale of goods and hope that the festival will support communities and provide a way for traders to sell in a non-competitive environment.
The plan for the event is available online at www.eefestival.com. Each country has an allocated number of spaces available, so traders should book and reserve their site (listing what they intend to sell) early to avoid disappointment.
See the ‘Opportunities for traders’ document for more information.
Opportunities for Sponsors
There are a number of opportunities for companies and organisations to ensure their presence at the festival through sponsorship. From advertising in the festival program to sponsoring a sporting event, we can discuss what would most suit your company and budget to find an appropriate medium for our sponsors. There will also be a dedicated sponsors’ hall at the festival.
See the ‘Festival sponsor’ document to find out more.
E.E.FESTIVAL EVENT ORGANISER.
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