Brentford Canal Festival Returns This Saturday
Highlights include Usain Boat and live music across five stages
Over 6,000 attendees hoped for at this weekend's event
June 19, 2024
The third ever Brentford Canal Festival is taking place this Saturday (22 June) and the organisers are hoping it will be the biggest and best ever.
From midday to 8pm there is a whole host of events across various location including Market Place, Brentford Lock Piazza, Workhouse Dock, Bradshaw Yard, The Gauging Lock, Ferry Quays, the Grand Union Canal and River Brent.
The free community-run day out is a celebration of canals and waterways. There will be a 60 seater free boat trip, street, traditional and folk dance from eight dance troupes, live music across five stages with 20 performers, paddle boarding, kayaking, canoeing, a variety of street food and drink stalls, artisan and maker stalls, craft workshop for children, guided heritage tours.
Last year saw over 4,500 attendees and the organisers are looking to build on that success to further establish the Canal Festival as a major annual attraction on Brentford’s and West London’s calendar. It is hoped that 6,000 will attend and so the scale of the event has been increased with more acts than ever before most of which are from the local area. The organisers are particularly keen to encourage local culture after the closure of the Watermans Arts Centre.
Local culture to feature prominently this year
This year the festival has partnered with the Roving Traders Association and on Thursday (20 June) seven trading boats are arriving on the Grand Union Canal and they’ll be selling ‘a bit of everything’. Most of the things sold will be items you won’t be able to find on a normal market.
There will be a new trip boat at this year’s event, with Usain Boat making an appearance, named after the legendary Jamaican sprinter. Usain Boat will be cruising up and down the Grand Union Canal basin at a statelier pace. In previous years, narrow boats were used for the boat trip but this year the organisers decided to ask Lee Valley to borrow one of their boats. This will allow up to 50 people to see the canal at one time, meaning less queuing and a better experience for everyone attending.
Lve music is a major feature of the festival. Picture: Brentford Voice
As well as all the stalls and boat trips, there is will be an opportunity for people to take part in water sports. Active 360 Kayaking, Team Keane and Edge Paddle boarding will be doing taster sessions for people of all ages to try out some water sports on water which is non-tidal, making it easier and safer for beginners to take part.
St Lawrence’s Church, which was acquired by Ballymore as part of the Brentford Project, will be open at the festival for people to explore and understand the rich history of the building. The church’s first section was the Great West Tower built in the 15th century, during the Wars of the Roses, in Kentish rag stone. It is the earliest structure in Brentford and remains virtually unaltered.
Brentford Voice says, “We would love to see lots of our residents and our nearby neighbours come along for the day and join us for a great day out. There aren’t many places in west London with so many waterways that are accessible.”
For more information about the event, visit the Brentford Canal Festival website or see more details on the event’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
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