Maindee Festival launches in re-imagined format during Covid lockdown

With most of the attractions moving online in order to adhere to the coronavirus lockdown restrictions, this year's festival had to be organised in a different way.

Organiser Alison Starling said: "We knew we couldn’t get 5,000 people together in a field this year so have reinvented ourselves to bring some new creative activities to help bring a smile to our community.

The first ever virtual Maindee Festival saw four hours of online performance, poetry and music between 2pm and 6pm this afternoon via the Maindee Festival Facebook page.

Dance group Kitsch n Sync were also bringing the festivities to the people of Maindee, delivering their dance-o-grams.

Maindee residents have been nominating their friends and family to receive a personalised dance-o-gram message.

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A series of colourful giant flowers were on parade outside Maindee Library this afternoon too.

These flowers will be dotted around Maindee during the next two weeks from tomorrow.

Ms Starling said: "Please go out and have a look and put your favourite photo on Facebook.

"You can also join us for a group trail tour meeting at Maindee Library at 6pm tomorrow.

"The tour should take around an hour."

The festival committee has been out and about giving away and planting sunflower seeds, so be on the look-out for hosts of golden sunflowers outside the library, in the car park and at the entrance to Maindee Primary School.

"It’s been a different kind of festival this year," said chairperson Monika Slucka.

"But, we hope we’ve brightened up life for people a little."