La Beltane: Sark May Day Celebrations
"There are twelve months in all the year, As I hear many folks say. But the merriest month in all the year, Is the merry month of May!"
Join us in Sark for the Bank Holiday weekend as we welcome in the magical month of May, celebrating the blossom, and the bluebells, the birds and the bees.
Supported by the States of Guernsey and Guernsey Arts, our festival is a modern day re-creation and celebration of an ancient Iron Age Celtic ritual and is the only of its kind to be found in the Channel Islands. Having been resurrected as a practice last year, it’s quickly becoming a popular event for our community, bringing many people together to acknowledge and revel in the birth of the Summer and the beauty of our island at springtime. A team of enthusiasts put together a medley of traditional May Day celebration events to kick off the season. Russ Fossey from Guernsey Arts says “Guernsey Arts are delighted to support this festival, giving opportunity to Channel Islands artists to come together to perform together. We congratulate the Beltane team in the development of this festival and the wider benefits it brings to the Bailiwick.”
Co-creator Jolie Booth says of the festival, "Last year we hosted our first La Beltane and it was a magical day. Those who attended commented on how the daytime felt like a traditional summer fete, and they were impressed it was so family friendly. Then as the event progressed people said how much it felt more like a ‘proper’ festival, with lots of different activities taking place, and things hidden away to discover. The daytime ended with a fire procession where we burnt a wickerman, before the ticketed evening part began and everyone 'had it large' stomping to local bands. Our next La Beltane is set to be bigger and better, with an amazing lineup and more fabulous activities throughout the day to enjoy. The dream is that in a few years from now tourists will imagine we've been holding these celebrations on Sark for hundreds of years.”
The Saturday fayre will include dressing the well, mummers players, maypole dancing, May Queens, and a host of crafts, workshops, and other entertainments. The daytime activities will be entrance by donation to make it as accessible as possible. Then join us in the evening for a ticketed event that will include the burning of a wickerman, a ceilidh, and then a bedlam of brilliant bands; Buffalo Huddleston, Le Beaubo & Its Own Animal from Guernsey. Perchard's Wall are coming over from Jersey. Then Nick Hart, a folk singer deeply rooted in the English tradition, is coming from the UK to play in the daytime and is calling our ceilidh in the evening, and John Hinton, an award-winning performance artist from the UK, will be performing his Ensonglopedia of Plants.
The daytime fayre is by donation on the door, the proceeds of which go to a local charity. The evening event is ticketed, at £25 each. The word is out, so we're expecting tickets to sell fast this year. Buy early to avoid disappointment.
Likewise supported by States of Guernsey and Guernsey Arts, we’ll be kicking off with a procession to dress the well and crown the maypole, the daytime event will host a delight of:
Maypole, Ceilidh & Morris dancing
Craft stalls
Food & Drink
Workshops
Games
Spoken word & poetry
Mummer’s play & more
Dress up to celebrate the blossom, the bluebells, the birds and the bees, to welcome the merry month of May!
The evening will see things step up a notch, so pack your dancing shoes and prepare to be entertained by the burning of a wickerman and a bedlam of brilliant bands; Buffalo Huddleston, Le Beaubo & Its Own Animal from Guernsey. Perchard's Wall are coming over from Jersey. Then Nick Hart, a folk singer deeply rooted in the English tradition, is coming from the UK to play in the daytime and is calling our ceilidh in the evening, and John Hinton, an award-winning performance artist from the UK, will be performing his Ensonglopedia of Plants.
Book your tickets and sort your accommodation early before it gets booked up, and let’s get excited for the bank holiday weekend and the coming of spring!
https://buytickets.at/labeltane/1051789
Daytime events by donation, evening celebration and bands ticketed.
