Ashfield councillors suggested mroe than 12,000 people flocked to Sutton Lawn for Ashfield Day, featuring a mixture of live music, open air cinema, dog shows and fun fair rides.
Coun Jason Zadrozny, Ashfield Council leader, hailed the council-organised event as a ‘major success’ and vowed to repeat it in 2023.
Highlights included a large outdoor cinema screen showing Paddington, Mrs Doubtfire and Grease, while 60 students from Empire Music School impressed festival-goers with their performance.
Kathie Smart, from the school, said: “What an incredible day – we’re so proud and loved every minute. Our students were outstanding and the audience participation was amazing.
“For many of our students, this was the first time they have performed in public, so to do it in front of thousands of their neighbours was an amazing experience.”
Coun David Hennigan, member for Sutton Central and New Cross, said: “What a wonderful day – it was so brilliant to see our talented young people take centre stage.
“The real stars of the show were the local residents who behaved impeccably.
“This was a day where residents could come together and sing, dance and come together.”
Coun Zadrozny said, “It was amazing to see communities come together to celebrate everything that is good about Ashfield.
“Thousands of residents came down to enjoy the day and heard some amazing local talent including the wonderfully talented young people from Empire Music School.
“We’ve already started planning for 2023. It’s going to be even bigger and better.”