Food and drink festival plans are forging ahead, despite restrictions
Plans for the Steyning and District Food and Drink Festival 2020 are forging ahead, with due consideration to current government restrictions.
The team from Steyning and District Community Partnership visitor and tourism committee is looking at ways to make the festival work with social distancing measures in place.
With businesses back open following the coronavirus lockdown, the organisers are confident they can make it work and encourage people to visit the town and surrounding villages.
Reina Alston, from the festival committee, said: “Plans to stage the annual and ever popular Steyning and District Food and Drink Festival are forging ahead for the usual month of September, albeit with the organising committee having to grapple with some rather unusual restrictions.
“We have to be realistic and take into account that some form of social distancing will most likely still be in existence, so are set to stage more outdoor and online events than usual.
“With larger indoor gatherings being off limits, it is still, however, hoped to hold some smaller, restricted number occasions.”
Alongside this year’s innovative events calendar there will be, as ever, a mass of fantastic special offers from businesses in the area, running for the whole month of September.
Reina added: “As this festival will probably be one of a very few local events for 2020, the committee are striving to make sure that it will strike a happy, positive note, encouraging people to forget all that has gone before and enjoy life again.”
With organisation delayed due to lockdown, the website steyningdistrictfooddrink festival.co.uk is still a bit behind but Reina said new events and offers will be loaded as soon as information becomes available.
It has been a couple of weeks since businesses in Steyning and the surrounding villages of Ashurst, Bramber, Edburton, Small Dole, Upper Beeding and Wiston flung open their doors again.
Reina said: “There is a lovely buzz in the town. While all the businesses have taken on board the important, numerous directives set to keep everyone as safe as possible, this has not dimmed the relaxed happy atmosphere that pervades.”