Winter chills may have been in the air but a Spring Festival took place at St Luke’s Church in Liverpool city centre yesterday, forming part of the weekend’s Chinese New Year celebrations.
The festival consisted of an artisan market and live performances both in and outside the church.
The entertainment in the grounds was free of charge whilst a £1 donation was asked of those who entered the church. Some of the live performers included George Jenkins, High Waves and Liv Pritchard, with festival running from around noon until 6pm.
Ross Robinson, a 23-year-old visitor, told JMU Journalism: “I’ve enjoyed it; it’s something different isn’t it? This is the first time I’ve been in the grounds of the Bombed-Out Church and it looks great with all the stalls and decoration. I’ve had a crepe and bought my girlfriend some really nice handmade jewellery.
“I was surprised with how good some of the performances were too. My little girl loved the drummers.”
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As well as traders selling desserts and jewellery, there were meat companies, scotch egg sellers, representatives from a clothing boutique and, somewhat surprisingly, Costco, who were there to promote their loyalty cards.
Rachel Noble, the manager of one of the traders on site, Glitterbugz, told JMU Journalism: “We attended this event to be a part of the wonderful celebration of Chinese New Year in the heart of Liverpool within a fantastic setting. Lots of people joined in and visited the stalls, embracing the fun.
“The event was a success. We thoroughly enjoyed the day and the atmosphere was great with all the friendly faces of both young and old visiting Glitterbugz for some extra sparkle.”
St Luke’s has regularly hosted occasions of this ilk as well as creative learning projects, film showings and charity events since 2007 when the church began operating as dedicated multidisciplinary arts venue.