Penrith is breaking with tradition again this May Day with the traditional May Queen out and replaced with a towering Green Man covered in leaves.
The town’s annual May Day celebration on Monday 4 May, organised by Penrith Town Council, will see a towering Green Man lead the parade instead of the usual crowned May Queen that has formed part of tradition spanning back 50 years.
Created by Up Front Gallery, the Green Man will head a 2pm carnival-style procession through Middlegate, Devonshire Street, Cornmarket and Great Dockray, before finishing in Great Dockray where it will remain on display.
He’ll be joined by Four Guardians, costumed performers and vintage vehicles, with music from Bjamba, Penrith Town Band and Eden Dance adding to what’s expected to be a louder, more lively feel than usual.
The town centre will be busy well before the parade, with the funfair running from 10am to 7pm at Sandgate Bus Station and free activities taking place from 12pm to 5pm across multiple locations.
Visitors can expect live performances, street entertainment, arts and crafts, classic carnival games, inflatables, trampolines and land train rides, alongside a children’s fairground on King Street.
Burrowgate will host the May Market, with groups including Penrith Lions, Blood Bikes Cumbria, Cumbria Fire Service, Penrith Mountain Rescue and Eden Police taking part, while Great Dockray will act as a food hub with vendors including Fiery Mammas Pizzas, Cloud Nine Kitchen, Dinky Donuts, Vegan Spice, Dirty Dogs and Eskimo Edith, plus ice cream traders across the town centre.
The event is funded by Penrith Town Council, with support from Penrith BID, which has contributed £5,000, and Westmorland and Furness Council, which has provided £3,930 towards delivery.
Penrith Mayor Cllr Val Bowen said:
“Penrith May Day is one of the highlights of our year, and a wonderful chance for residents and visitors to come together and enjoy the very best of our town.
As Chair of the Town Council and Mayor, I’m especially proud that we’ve built in so many free activities to help make May Day as accessible as possible for everyone, from classic carnival games and tabletop games to free land train rides and mini golf, alongside performances, crafts and the exciting Green Man parade which is not to be missed!
With the bank holiday coming up quickly, I’d encourage everyone to pencil Penrith May Day in your diary – whether you’re coming for an hour or staying all afternoon, you’ll find a warm welcome and plenty to enjoy.”
Town centre shops and cafés will be open throughout the day, with visitors encouraged to support local businesses while enjoying the celebrations.
A Temporary Traffic Regulation Order has been put in place by Westmorland & Furness Council to support the event.
Road closures
Road closures will be in operation from 8.00am to 7.00pm only, and will affect the following areas:
Little Dockray
Market Square
Great Dockray
Cornmarket
Rowcliffe Lane
Brook Street
Angel Lane
Albert Street (section from Sandgate)
Princes Street (partial)
Burrowgate (partial)
The A6, including Middlegate, Devonshire Street, Market Square and King Street, will be closed between Brunswick Road and Crown Sqaure.
An alternative route will be signposted via Brunswick Road, Portland Place, Meeting House Lane, Benson Row, Friargate, Old London Road and Roper Street.
Pedestrian access and access for dismounted cyclists will be maintained at all times, and emergency vehicle access will be maintained throughout the event.
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