Meadows Festival is next weekend - 6 and 7 June

Meadows Festival - 7th & 8th June 2014

Meadows Festival - Edinburgh's free volunteer-run music & community festival, 7th & 8th June 2014 

Meadows Festival (1 and 2 June) seeks volunteer helpers

Can you help...

"The Meadows Festival on 1st/2nd June is truly a community event, planned and organised by a small team of enthusiastic volunteers. As such, they need lots of extra help over the weekend to make it happen!

You don’t need any special skills, just a willingness to muck in and enjoy yourself at the same time. Generally, volunteers do multiple things over the weekend so you’ll never get bored! If you have a particular preference they can usually work this into the rota. Some of the tasks carried out include…

• helping stall holders find their pitch on the Saturday morning
• giving out programmes and answering questions from the public
• helping to open up the tents in the morning, and close them down at night
• general stewarding
• helping with the running of the Kids Tent or Festival Stage
• setting out chairs etc for the audience
• moving things to where they are needed

They also need people on the Thursday & Friday before the Festival (and the Monday after!) to help with things like…

• setting tents up
• erecting fences, barriers etc
• putting up signs
• laying out bins
• …and 101 other things!

All equipment is provided – you will be given a Meadows Festival laminate badge to keep and a stylish hi vis jacket for the duration of your shift. They provide free refreshments for volunteers – tea, coffee, juice, biscuits etc, plus a voucher each shift, which can be exchanged for a sandwich at the Pavilion Cafe, and you can do all this whilst enjoying the fun of the Festival!

You are more than welcome to come along just for part of the weekend if you are only available then – even if it’s a couple of hours, all help is appreciated. They’re usually on site from 7am until about 8pm on the Friday/Saturday/Sunday"

Want to take a stall? Or help at the Meadows Festival on 2 and 3 June

The Meadows Festival is still taking applications for stallholders to trade at the long-running event, this year to be held on 2 & 3 June.  Interest has been high, but there are still a few spaces remaining. From arts and crafts, through vintage clothing and antiques, to books, charities, and children's items, the Festival attracts a broad range of different traders.   

If you're interested in taking a stall, head over to the stalls page and download a copy of the stalls form.  

The Festival organisers tell me they have an exciting line-up planned, but need some help to make it happen - maybe from you? Please visit the Volunteers page if you can give a couple of hours over the weekend to make the Festival run smoothly - the festival is entirely volunteer run!

Volunteers required: Meadows Festival 4/5 June

Fred Mackintosh writes: "This year's Meadows Festival takes place on 4th & 5th June, and we can promise something for everybody from grans to toddlers and everybody in between. We'll feature 8 large Marquees and a Big top tent in a 1/2mile sq area surrounded by 100 plus market stalls with Tailor’s funfair also joining  us.

This year the music lineup is back with its eclectic mix of all the best bands Edinburgh local scene has to offer - indi pop, reggae, funk and  hip hop acts, from  bands whio normally fill Scotland's music festival stages and are all playing for free on the at the Meadows Festival. Listen out for Captain Slackships energy packed reggae hits, festival favourites the Banana Sessions hit us with their brass baselines and quirky covers, Ordinary All Stars will get you grooving to their smooth hip hop beats while the up and coming Epic 26 blast out the some modern Indie synth tunes, and the Beltane drummers will be out in force to stir your soul.

Animal lovers will be pleased to learn that this year  the festival includes a dog show, courtesy of the Dogs Trust. Any dog can enter - there won't be any pedigree classes, but if your dog's exceptionally beautiful or talented, this will be his or her chance to shine! There will also be displays of agility and obedience from the Trust's own pooches.

Regular events include the schools' football tournament, and younger visitors can also enjoy activities at the kids' tent, including face painting, storytelling, and arts and crafts, and view the entries in the annual art competition.

We're still looking for volunteers to help run the festival, and if you're interested, try this link: http://tinyurl.com/6e8t37f

It's not too late to book a stall either,  whether you're selling goods or offering a service like champissage (Indian head massage) or bicycle repairs, so check out our website for details: http://meadowsfestival.3st.org.uk/

But hurry if you want to get involved!"

Two Weeks to go: 35th Meadows Festival needs volunteers

South Edinburgh's premier community festival - The Meadows Festival - is set to go ahead on the West Meadows on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th June. The event - run by a committee of local residents - will include stalls, two music stages, a school football competition, a bicycle powered cinema, a school art competition, kids tent and, on Saturday only, animals from the Gorgie City Farm.


The Meadows Festival Association hope to make the festival this year the best ever, but that can't happen without volunteers.  People who want to help over the weekend are asked (please!) to visit Facebook, Myspace or www.meadowsfestival.org.uk and volunteer. 


The first Meadows Festival was held in 1974 and since then the Festival has been an annual feature of the calendar (except for a break in 2006-7). The Festival Committee work hard throughout the year to put on the event. In 2009 over 8,000 people attended on both days and this year the musical lineup is shaping up to be one of the best yet. There will 25 acts over 2 stages, playing everything from funk to indie-pop and rock to samba.  Headlining the main Festival Stage will be the wonderful Banana Sessions, who have built up quite a reputation for their quirky cover versions and the mental Big Fat Panda with their own brand of wild, bouncy ska.

AGM of Meadows Festival Association - Tollcross Community Centre at 19:30 on 12 Nov

The Annual General Meeting of the Meadows Festival Association will be held at Tollcross Community Centre (Tollcross Primary School, 117 Fountainbridge Edinburgh EH3 9QG) on Thursday 12 November 2009 at 7.30 p.m.

The Meadows Festival is run by a small group of local people who are the members of the Association. It can't happen without community support. They have started planning a 2010 Festival, but always welcome new help and new blood.

If you use Facebook you can signal your intention to attend by visiting the event page for the meeting.

Meadows festival: AGM on 12 Nov

Tollcross Community Centre is booked for this year's Annual General Meeting on Thursday 12 November 2009 at 7.30 p.m. Put the date and time in your diary if you would like to be involved with the proposed 2010 Meadows Festival. More details (for Facebook users) at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6219629357

Meadows Festival starts 10am tomorrow!

A little reminder, should you need one, that the Meadows Festival starts at 10am tomorrow, Sa 6 Jun.

Volunteers needed to staff the Community Council tent at the Meadows Festival

Volunteers are required to help staff the Community Council tent at the Meadows Festival on Sa 6 and Su 7 Jun 09. 

If you can help please contact susie (0131 667 4970) or alastair (0131 275 6679).

Meadows Festival, approaching fast: volunteer helpers required!

This years Meadows Festival is less than three weeks away and apparently it's shaping up to be the best one yet!

 "We've got loads of top local bands over two stages, almost 100 stalls, a brilliant Kids area, a Funfair, a Football tournament, an Art Exhibition and lots lots more! Best of all it's all FREE!!"

This years festival runs from 10am - 5pm Saturday 6th June and 11am-5pm Sunday 7th June in the Meadows.

"The festival simply couldn't take place without the hard work of all the volunteers who make it what it is. We are looking for volunteers to help us out over the weekend of the festival. The volunteers will work for 3-4 hours on either day of the Festival as stewards, litter-pickers, or general gophers. We're also looking for people to help put up posters before the event.

If you're interested in helping out, get in touch: email meadowsfestival@yahoo.co.uk or call 07789227695."

New Meadows Festival Website...

A new Meadows Festival website is now live.  As a press release on the site points out: 

"The 2009 Meadows Festival is set to go ahead on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June.  The City of Edinburgh Council has now granted permission for south Edinburgh’s premier community festival to be held on the Meadows.

As in previous years the festival will include music on two stages, nearly 100 stalls, a primary school football competition, and Taylor’s famous funfair.

The Festival will run from 10am to 5pm on Saturday 6 and 11am to 5pm on Sunday 7 June in the West Meadows between Coronation Walk and Middle Meadow Walk."

Meadows Festival seeks volunteers for 6 & 7 Jun

The organisers of the Meadows Festival, scheduled to be held on Sat 6 and Sun 7 Jun, are seeking volunteers to be Stewards and/ or Litterpickers.  

To get involved visit them at Facebook, MySpace or Gumtree. Or write to lh@anamika.freeserve.co.uk or  P.O. Box No 12758, EH8 9YP.

Meadows Festival AGM: take 2 - 2 April at 7pm

Linda Hendry has sent a message to the members of Meadows Festival group on Facebook, saying "We need you to pop in to the AGM on 2nd April at the Croquet Pavilion on the Meadows if you can possibly make it after 7pm. Our last shot at an AGM did not have enough people so we need you to come for the event to go ahead. You don't have to do anything else to help if you don't want to."

Want to help with Meadows Festival 2009?

If you are interested in becoming (more) involved in 2009 the Meadows Festival AGM is at

7pm on Tuesday 25th November

at Tollcross Community Centre

For more details see http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=6219629357.

Parks and Greenspace Survey

Readers with an interest in Edinburgh's parks might be interested to fill in a questionnaire that City of Edinburgh Council have on their website, which says:

"Parks are special places – green oases in our city. They are places where you can escape the hustle and bustle of daily life, exercise, watch wildlife or simply relax.

We want to know what you think about your local park or greenspace in Edinburgh. Is it a wildlife haven or a waste ground? Do you love it or loathe it? Is it litter-strewn or is it litter free?

Respondents will be entered into a prize draw to win high street vouchers and spending sprees at the Council's Inch Nursery plant sale."

Meadows Festival Association

The Meadows Festival Association is looking for volunteers to help with various activities at the forthcoming festival on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th June 2008. Please access their site below to see if you would like to volunteer. Your help will be greatly appreciated.

Meadows Festival Association

Meadows Festival Map

Here's a map of a previous year's Meadows Festival:

Meadows Festival Minutes

There was a meeting to discuss the future of the Meadows Festival tonight at Cameron Rose's house. This is a very brief set of minutes.

Please, if you are reading this blog and have some ideas for the festival, add a comment to this post.

Next Meeting
Tuesday, 19^th June, 2007 from 19:00 at Cameron's house.

Action Items
The following steps will be taken to further the project:

1. Andy - To further investigate the Meadows Festival Association to get budgets and details of anything that might be lurking there
2. Hugh - To get permission from the MSCC to be the legally responsible entity in the planning stages
3. Cameron - To begin discussions with potential sponsors
• Royal Bank of Scotland
• Bank of Scotland
• Quartermile
• Sick Kids fundraisers
• Fairground
4. Hugh - To invite other councils to the next meeting
   

Attendees

• Cameron Rose (Marchmont and Sciennes Community Council)
• Hugh Leather (Marchmont and Sciennes Community Council)
• Linda Hendry (Southside Community Council)
  
• Susanna Lacey (Marchmont and Sciennes Community Council)

Apologies

• Andy Devenport (Tollcross Community Council)
  
• Justine Stansfield (Southside Community Council)

Evening News
Cameron recounted his interview with the Evening News. The article can be found here. Cameron indicated that some of comments may have been taken out of context on a slow news day.

Meetings with Potential Sponsors
Cameron has arranged a meeting with the Sick Kids tomorrow.

Other Festivals
The group discussed other festivals:

• Linda - Visited Japan Day which was let down by weather and lack of catering
• Susanna - Reported on open air theatre groups.
  
• She has spoken to Grid Iron who do children's interactive theatre. They are funded by the banks and are interested in the festival. She also
  
• She spoke of the National Theatre of Scotland who do adult theatre

Proposals for the Festival Format
Linda:
Proposed that the festival format be identical to previous years'. That entails:
10am-6pm
Football competition
Craigmillar fun fair
Strolling players
Beer tent
Stalls and food

Susanna:
Proposed that the festival include open air theatre, possibly Shakespeare and classical music.
Linda was concerned that the fair and the rock music might interfere.
Cameron suggested that ClassicFM might do a road show.

Cameron:
Felt it was too early to decide the form of the festival

Hugh:
Presented an idea to have a Sick Kids festival. A fun run would raise money for the charity. The kids theme would be central. The festival would be much smaller, only one triangle of the Meadows to make it seem less straggly if there is medium turnout.
Linda was concerned that the fun fair needed more space.
Linda was concerned that adults would be worried about being seen as paedophiles at a child-only theme.
Linda felt that if there was a fun run participants would go home directly afterwards.

Decision:
A format for the festival was decided to be identical to the previous years', possibly with bolt on extras like small theatre.

Miscellaneous
Antonia Dickson may keep a list of volunteers.
Linda will provide a poster to Antonia.

Meadows Festival Minutes

Susanna Lacey contributed these minutes:

Meadows Festival meeting Wed 4th April 2007 at 7pm Cameron Rose House
Cameron, Linda and Susanna. Apologies Justine, Hugh.
We discussed benefits of social/community event rather than commercial
enterprise.
Steve Kent of Edinburgh Voluntary Organisation Council (EVOC) was mentioned.
Again discussed Community Council to take on insurance to save expense.

Andy and Cameron have had internal discussions regarding Tollcross
Community Council. Details of which cannot be given out.

The organiser of Middle East Peace festival is interested in being
involved. He has a big bank of Scottish event groups to draw on. Linda
has contact details for him. This would show community and multicultural
involvement.