Leicester’s newest free festival brings St George, dragons, Romans and a giant forum to the city.
The Old Town Festival is taking place on 26 & 27 April, and will incorporate the traditional festivities for St George’s Day alongside a celebration of the city’s fascinating Roman heritage.
A perfect family day out, you can meet a fire-breathing dragon, learn to march like a Centurion and even help to recreate the entrance to a Roman Forum.
Hands-on archaeology, Roman theatre, craft activities and Morris dancing will also be on offer, along with face-painting and a dress-up booth so that young festival-goers can become gallant knights, fearsome dragons or magical maidens.
A fire-breathing dragon will be on the loose in Cathedral Gardens, alongside stilt-walking jesters, magical wizards and a trio of clumsy knights taking on daring quests. Over at Jubilee Square, you can take part in Roman warrior training, where you can learn to march like a legionnaire, wield a sword like a true centurion, or raise a shield to victory.
You can be part of history here in Leicester as visitors rebuild a full-scale Roman monument.. Join a workshop and help to construct this incredible structure, which will then be built in full at the original Roman Forum site on Jubilee Square. And don’t miss the grand finale on Sunday when the monument will be dramatically taken down in a thrilling demolition event. For details of how to get involved go to the Old Town Festival Roman Forum Workshop page.
For full information on the Old Town Festival you can read the Visit Leicester Old Town Brochure here.
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