Huge parade will see roads close tomorrow
THOUSANDS WILL THRONG CITY STREETS IN CELEBRATION EVENT
MOTORISTS are being warned of some major disruption in the city centre this weekend as a major parade winds its way through the streets.
More than 10,000 people are expected to take part in Vaisakhi celebrations tomorrow.
The annual parade has long been a colourful and highly-anticipated event, with thousands of participants and spectators involved.
This year, the event coincides with Eid and the bank holiday weekend, which means roads could be busier than usual.
The date of the religious festival, which marks the Sikh new year, fell earlier this month.
Celebrations took place across gurdwaras locally with a larger, public event taking place tomorrow.
This will be the first procession in around two years due to the restrictions brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.
As Vaisakhi is a time for families to come together, tomorrow’s event could be one of the biggest yet as people look forward to its return after a two-year break.
To accommodate the large procession that begins at 11.30am, road closures will be in force from 11.15am.
Leicester City Council is working with police on managing the traffic throughout the day.
The procession will start from the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Holy Bones, near the Vaughan Way slip road, at 11.30am.
It will then head towards St Nicholas
Circle and down High Street, Humberstone Gate, Charles Street, St George’s Way, Swain Street and St Peter’s Road.
The procession is due to arrive at East Park Road at the Guru Tegh Bahadur Gurdwara in North Evington at 2.30pm.
St Nicholas Circle, on the city’s inner ring road, will be closed to traffic for about one hour from 11.15am, while St George’s Way will be closed from around 12.30pm to 1.30pm.
Martin Fletcher, director of city highways at Leicester City Council, said: “The Vaisakhi parade takes place every year so we have plenty of experience of managing the impact caused to other road users.
“We’re working closely with the police to ensure the event goes ahead safely, while also ensuring the impact on the city’s road network is kept to a minimum.
“However, people coming into the city centre this Sunday will need to allow extra time, and think about how they will travel into the city.
“It may be better to use public transport, or to cycle or walk into the city while the parade is taking place, or to plan visits to avoid the worst of any traffic disruption and delays.”
Ambulance Service and postal workers from Royal Mail.
Stacie said: “We’ve always been very community focused at Mountview and we love to meet new people. Since the pandemic, lots of businesses have been doing what they can to say thank you to key workers. We wanted to do this too, but we also wanted to extend our appreciation to everyone who makes up our community.”
Arisa Fairbrother, who lives in the village, said: “This is such a nice thing that Mountview is doing for the local community. I read about it on their Facebook page and came along to pick up a treat.”
Hugh Roberts, another local resident, said: “I really appreciate
Mountview giving back to the community in this way. I really enjoyed my hot chocolate treat.”
Mountview is a residential and dementia care home, with 66 en-suite bedrooms, secure landscaped gardens and a full activities programme. It is rated good by the Care Quality Commission.