Love Oswestry event to light up the town

The Love Oswestry festival will shout about all that is great in the town through music, poetry and art, culminating in a special lantern parade.

Money for the event will come from part of the £90,000 funding from Historic England for Oswestry's High Street Heritage Action Zone project.

Organised by the Cultural Consortium of the action zone, the event, on February 12, will see live music, guided tours and art workshops taking place, before the sunset lantern procession brings it to a close.

Chairman of the consortium, Graham Mitchell, said the event was aimed at young people but he hoped it would attract all-comers.

He said: "We want to celebrate all that we love about Oswestry, with a music and arts theme and a bit of fun. Lots of organisations are getting involved including Designs in Mind, the Qube and the library.

"There will be an exhibition throughout Oswestry and an online magazine that teenagers are putting together."

A love heart town trail, an official opening and a drumming workshop will also play major roles in the festival.

Councillor Ed Potter, deputy leader of Shropshire Council and portfolio holder for economic growth, regeneration and planning, said: "This is a tremendous idea to celebrate all that we love about the wonderful town of Oswestry and I cannot wait to see the incredible projects that come out of it.

"After a really difficult two years it also gives us the chance to come together safely and share what it is we love about Oswestry."

Adele Nightingale from Oswestry's Business Improvement District said: "The members of the Cultural Consortium have worked really hard pulling ideas together to celebrate some of the great things we all love about Oswestry and to get both the residents and business community involved. There will be lots of different activities going on throughout the day and we would encourage everyone to come into town and ‘Love Oswestry’."

Free craft workshops will be held at Oswestry Memorial Hall for children aged eight and over, accompanied by an adult, to make and decorate lanterns for the parade.

The workshops will be held every Saturday from this weekend until February 12.

For more information and to book a place visit eventbrite.co.uk/e/love-oswestry-lantern-making-workshops-tickets-244439062817

Designs in Mind has been commissioned to make over 100 lanterns that can be collected to join in the procession from 4pm at the Memorial Hall on February 12.

Events will be posted at @LoveOswestryCC on Facebook.