Food Festival supports town's businesses

27/06/2019

Food Festival supports town's businesses

As Gŵyl Fwyd Caernarfon crew prepare for 2020’s festival a public meeting was held on Wednesday, 26th June to give the public an opportunity to express their views and attract people to be part of the team of volunteer organisers. 
 
Following responses through questionnaires on the new website and on the day which showed very positive feedback to the 2019 festival, which attracted the biggest audience yet, the organizers want to take the opportunity to get more people involved in the festival. A large number of the 300 responses enjoyed so much that they wanted more! Nici Beech, chair of the organizing committee, says: 
 
“We are delighted that people have enjoyed so much that they are calling for more - things like the music continuing until later or even a two day festival. It's great to see that the festival has such an impact and left its mark. One of our main values as a festival is to support the local food and drink industry. Part of this is to support producers who bring a stand to the festival, but another part is also supporting the businesses of Caernarfon town. We therefore deliberately bring the festival to a close at 5.00 so that the public can continue to enjoy in the town's restaurants and pubs and for other entertainment venues to maintain the live music into the evening. 
 
We would also welcome any business who wish put a stall in front of their property – if they obtain any permissions directly from the council. This year it was good to see that those who had done this had also benefited from the festival, either by offering something different on the theme of food and drink or just by being visible and ready to talk to festival visitors about their businesses. ” 
 
 

Over 20 people organise the festival, entirely voluntarily in their own time, in 5 different groups - Content, Sponsorship, Technical, Communication and Volunteering, and the organisation starts over 10 months before the festival. It costs £32,000 to hold the festival with a majority (59%) of the money coming through grants and sponsorship which cannot be relied upon from year to year. In order to keep the festival a free and open day for all, the Content Group are organising a series of fundraising events during the year. Favorites such as the Gala Night and Curry Competition will appear again in 2019-20 as well as new events in collaboration with the town's businesses. 
 
Menna Thomas, chair of the Content Group, says; 
 
“We look forward to holding another year of fundraising events with the first taking place in September - soon to be announced on our new website www.gwylfwydcaernarfon.cymru . Everyone is welcome to come along to our food and drink themed events, but we also welcome others to organise your own fundraising activities – such as 'Come Dine With Me' evenings between friends or a teddy bears' picnic. The festival committee would be happy to promote these events too. ” 

Gŵyl Fwyd Caernarfon 2020 will take place on Saturday, May 9th around Caernarfon town center.