FESTIVAL fans wanting to attend a free, first-of-its-kind event in Sunderland need to get their skates on as there are just days to go.
Urban Fest, which is a two-day celebration of the sights, style and sports of the streets, will take place at Sunniside Gardens this weekend, supported by Red Bull. (7 to 8 September).
And the festival of urban culture organised by Sunderland BID will bring some of the UK’s top skateboarders, BMX-ers, street artists and dancers to the city.
Among them will be pro-riders Alex Halford and Owen ‘Sox’ Watkins who will be giving demos showcasing their skateboarding skills while 3Sixty will be swapping four wheels for two with BMX shows and stunts.
Alongside top-ranking professional BMXer, Jack Clark, a team from King Ramps will be performing demonstrations on the skate ramp and providing awe inspiring adrenaline fuelled shows throughout Saturday and Sunday.
And Red Bull will be on site with an open-back vehicle from which DJs, including DJ Specifik and DJ KUB, will perform, with free Red Bull drinks for those aged over 18.
There will be a separate track/workshop area for those wanting to learn how to skate with King Ramps on both days, while 3Sixty will also be performing bicycle stunts and interactive workshops on Sunday.
And on Saturday visitors can also watch a range of demos, including those from South Shields’ based Override who will be showing off their scooter skills.
Street art will also feature at Urban Fest with graffiti workshops and community canvas painting led by AOP Projects who run the Future Walls project in Sunderland and other local artists.
Street food stalls will be selling a variety of cuisines, with loaded hotdogs from Dirty Dogs, fresh pizzas from Diego’s and burgers from Jam Jar, a range of Italian-inspired food from Angelo’s Ristorante which will be available outside of Manor Bar.
Deep North Doughnuts and Churros Barcelona will also be selling desserts and visitors on Sunday can tuck into dry-aged beef smash burgers from Moreburger.
And Melonz’ Hair Bar will be braiding hair and giving braiding demonstrations, while Port Independent will have a pop-up shop with a selection of independent clothing brands and art from Sunderland based producers.
There will also be a dance off, with dancers from across the North East battling to take home a £100 cash prize and the title of Urban Fest All Styles Champion on Sunday.
“Sunniside Gardens is without a doubt going to be the coolest place in the North East this weekend,” said Sunderland BID chief executive, Sharon Appleby, “with everything from music and art to dance and street sport.
“And it’s entirely free to attend so we hope everyone will come along – they’ll have a fantastic time.”
Dancers wanting to register for the battle need to do so at https://sunderlandbid.co.uk/urbanfest/dance-battle-reg/ no later than 6 September.
Urban Fest will take place at Sunniside Gardens from 11am to 6pm on Saturday and 11am to 5pm on Sunday.
For more information, visit sunderlandbid.co.uk/urbanfest