Over 10,000 visitors enjoyed a vibrant Venetian Carnival at Wayfarers Arcade in Southport town centre, with planning underway to make the next ‘Creative Village’ events ‘event bigger and better’.
The colourful carnival took place in conjunction with local business Volare – the current Southport Restaurant of the Year, after winning the category in the Your Southport Stars Awards.
The free attraction saw families exploring the magic and the mystery of Venice on Saturday (1st March 2025) as they were entertained by Venetian clowns; made Venetian masks; shopped at artisan stalls; tasted Italian food and drinks; and were serenaded by classical music.
At night-time, guests bought tickets for a Masked Venetian Ball with a live performance by the Cafe Society jazz band.
Dr. Eric Lybeck from Wayfarers Arcade said:
“The Venetian carnival was a fantastic event! It was packed inside the arcade.
“We set up a time lapse camera to record the event and estimate we welcomed over 10,000 visitors throughout the day. It went exactly how we wanted. So much planning went into making this happen.
“The atmosphere was fun, it was vibrant, and we had great feedback from visitors that this was ‘how they remember the arcade used to be’.
“We are bringing Wayfarers Arcade back, not only for visitors, but also for businesses. If any potential tenants are interested in either coming to have a look at any of the available units, or taking stalls at our artisan markets so they can get a feel for the venue, then please get in touch.
“We are hosting our Creative Village events on a monthly basis, all with different themes, and working with different partners.
“Our plan is to see them grow and become bigger and better each time!
“The next one is our Flower Festival in partnership with Southport Flower Show on Saturday, 29th March.
“That same weekend we will host a Mother’s Day celebration on Sunday, 30th March with additional tables set out inside the arcade, with waiters in black tie and white gloves serving afternoon tea.
“On Saturday 3rd May we host a May Day event, with a maypole in the centre of the arcade, while we are appealing for nations from around the world to be represented at our Global Village event on Saturday, 31st May.
“They are all building up to November, when we will be hosting the brand new Southport Christmas Markets between 27th November and 28th December. The arcade will be a stunning place to be during the festive season.
“We want people to get used to our Creative Village days happening and to mark them in their diaries!
“We also have lots of other events happening inside Wayfarers Arcade on a regular basis in between our Creative Village dates, there is always something happening here.
“We’d love to encourage people back into the habit of calling into the arcade to see what’s going on. Full details are always on our Wayfarers Arcade social media pages.”
The regular ‘Creative Village’ events aim to welcome more visitors, bring a new vibrancy into the arcade and attract potential new traders.
The ‘Carnevale di Venezia’ was organised by Wayfarers Arcade with the support of the family-owned Volare restaurant on Lord Street.
Volare Head Chef Jason Maimone made a selection of frittelli, traditional Italian doughnuts, in a variety of flavours, while people sipped on cocktails including Italian bellinis.
The artisan market had a range of quality traders and artists, some based inside the arcade, as well as authentic Italian food, drink and produce provided by Volare.
Duo Rose performed baroque classical music for people to enjoy.
Clowns from New Heritage Performance appeared as Venetian-inspired retail clowns, mocking the growth of online shopping and its impact on society in an amusing and engaging way.
Inside The Engine Room, on the first floor, children and adults made their own Venetian masks to wear on the day and take home.
Children loved seeing Spectrum the bear inside the arcade, one of 10 bears situated throughout Southport town centre inspired by the We’re Going On A Bear Hunt children’s book and provided by Southport BID and Sefton Council.
Local artists inside Wayfarers including David Booth, Grant Searl, Ruth Ryder and Emmeline McLoughlin designed their own Venetian masks for people to bid for in a silent auction.
All money raised will be donated towards fixing the damaged lights on the Venetian Bridge over the Marine Lake in Southport.
Future Creative Village events at Wayfarers Arcade this year include:
29th March – Flower Festival
3rd May – May Day
31st May – Global Village
28th June – Kupala Night
2nd August – Lughnasadh
30th August – Michaelmas
27th September – Beer Street at the Rushbearing Festival
31st October & 1st November – Halloween / Samhain
27th November – Lancashire Day, and the launch of the Christmas Market until 28th December.
Existing tenants will be at the forefront, invited to display what they have to offer as part of the fairs.
The events are a fabulous opportunity for other businesses which may want to come in and sell their goods and gauge for themselves whether Wayfarers Arcade would be a good long-term fit for them.
Dr Lybeck said: “We want our new Creative Village events to spark an explosion of interest in what people and businesses can enjoy at Wayfarers Arcade.
“If you’re interested in getting involved, or would like more information, please get in touch, or call into The Engine Room for a coffee. We would love to hear from you.”
For more details visit: civedcic@gmail.com or visit: www.wayfarersarcade.co.uk
Do you have a story for Stand Up For Southport? Do you need advertising, PR or media support? Please message Andrew Brown via Facebook here or email me at: mediaandrewbrownn@gmail.com
