With just days left to go until Seaham Food Festival, organisers are reminding festival goers to plan their journey before they travel.
The Durham County Council-run event will return to County Durham’s coastline this weekend, on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 August.
With over 100 traders selling everything from street food to locally made sweets, cakes, and beverages, there will be plenty of delicious dishes for visitors to get their teeth into.
There will also be a star-studded line up of top celebrity chefs giving cookery demonstrations at the festival’s outdoor cookery theatre, including Jean-Christophe Novelli, Saturday Kitchen presenter Matt Tebbutt, and Bake Off: The Professionals judge Cherish Finden.
Cllr Elizabeth Scott, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for economy and partnerships, said: “We hope people are as excited as we are for the return of Seaham Food Festival. As one of our key cultural events, the festival is set to be the perfect summer weekend full of family-friendly fun and, of course, food.
“With so many exciting things planned, we are expecting the town centre to be busy and are encouraging people to think about how they are going to get to the festival. We will have a park and ride to help minimise delays and ease congestion, allowing people to arrive easily and not miss out on any of the fun.”
An accessible park and ride service will be in operation for visitors which will run between Spectrum Business Park (SR7 7TT) and the town centre.
Buses will depart from the business park from 9.30am on Saturday and Sunday. The last returning buses will depart from the top of the Harbour Road at 5.30pm on Saturday and 4.30pm on Sunday.
Return tickets cost £2 for adults, 50 pence for children aged five to 15 years old, and free for those under five.
Town centre car parks will be open, but they are expected to be busy, and drivers are being asked to be aware of diversions due to road closures for the event.
North Terrace (B1287) from the Tempest Road junction to the Marquess Point junction will be closed from 5pm on Friday 5 August to 9pm on Sunday 7 August. Terrace Green Car Park will also be closed from midnight on Thursday 4 August. Diversions will be in place and will be sign posted.
The festival is just one of the many cultural events and activities taking place in the county this year, demonstrating the council’s ongoing commitment to cultural-led regeneration. This includes delivering key projects within the county’s shortlisted UK City of Culture bid and raising the county’s profile as a fantastic place to live, work, visit and invest.
It also includes progressing major capital projects, such as the redevelopment of the former DLI Museum and Durham Art Gallery into a stunning new creative centre showcasing national and international contemporary art alongside collections that celebrate the county’s heritage.
For the latest festival news and announcements, sign up to the newsletter at www.seahamfoodfestival.co.uk or follow @seahamfoodfest on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
