The team behind Mill Road Winter Fair are determined to keep the spirit of the season alight, despite having to cancel the event this December. Funded by new charity Love Mill Road, this year sees the launch of the Mill Road Lanterns community project, celebrating the diverse history and culture of the neighbourhood and highlighting its identity and independence.
The dazzling lanterns will feature contributions of words and images from local residents and schoolchildren living in the Mill Road area, which have been transformed into ten visual delights by artist and illustrator Penny Sobr. They will be hung in shops on either side of the Mill Road Bridge, and illuminated during the first two weeks in December – covering the weekend when this year’s Winter Fair was due to take place. The plan is to add more lanterns as the years go by, representing some of Mill Road’s streets, schools and organisations in a display that will form the core of the community parade in future Winter Fairs.
Along with the lanterns project, there will also be an illustrated Mill Road Trail launching at the end of this month, depicting the area’s vibrant personality and featuring all of the lantern venues, as well as other places of interest. You can also catch Mill Road Fair Online from 1 to 14 December, which will promote many of the local performers, artists, organisations and charities who would have been there on the day – head to the Mill Road Winter Fair website to find out more. millroadwinterfair.org
