Seafest, the annual celebration of Plymouth's vibrant waterfront, returned to Britain’s Ocean City at the weekend and event organisers are ‘shell-ebrating’ the biggest festival yet in its 13-year history with over forty thousand visitors attending.
This year’s event welcomed a wider range of activities and expanded locations thanks to a partnership between Plymouth Waterfront Partnership, Plymouth City Council and Plymouth Sound National Marine Park. Plymouth Sound National Marine Park is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Jon Walton, CEO, and Kim Downer, Business Liaison Manager, Plymouth Waterfront Partnership:
“We are beyond thrilled at how this weekend’s Seafest went. Thousands and thousands of our local community and visitors to the city enjoyed a vast array of entertainment, activities, and local produce, all under beautiful blue skies and late summer sunshine. The atmosphere was great and we have had fantastic feedback from participants, stall holders and, of course, our wonderful waterfront businesses
Events like this don’t just ‘happen’; they take months of planning with a huge number of people working behind the scenes, but there wouldn’t be a Seafest without the businesses and levy payers of the Plymouth Waterfront Partnership BID area and for that we say a massive ‘thank you’ to them, and of course, our sponsors, Ocean MINI, Ventons Devon Cyder and The Early Bird.”
Amongst some of the highlights of the weekend were the end of season doggy dip at Tinside Lido, the ‘stealing’ seagulls (entertainers dressed up), shanty and other bands performing on the new headline stage, the ‘Seafest Sound Stage’, and impromptu cookery demos by local businesses.
Subsidised and free public transport offers (ferries and the ‘Shark and Ride’) supported by Mount Batten Ferry, Plymouth Boat Trips and Plymouth CityBus were also available across the weekend, made possible with thanks to Plymouth Waterfront Partnership and the Plymouth Sound National Marine Park.
Seafest this year spanned the city’s waterfront from the Barbican to Royal William Yard, Mount Batten to Mount Edgcumbe – a true shell-ebration of Britain’s Ocean City.