The Festival of Thrift at Kirkleatham has been named as the best event on Teesside.
The announcement was made at the prestigious annual Journal Culture Awards event which celebrates the best of North East arts and entertainment.
Festival of Thrift Director Stella Hall and members of the Festival team were in attendance at the glittering event, which was held in the magnificent surroundings of Hexham Abbey in front of a packed audience.
She said: “I am absolutely thrilled with our award and it is a real privilege to have been chosen as the best award winner for the second time in our short life! The category’s shortlist was extremely strong, featuring two other amazing events, Middlesbrough Council’s Nightfall and Stockton International Riverside Festival’s Furious Folly at Preston Park, so we are extremely proud of our achievement.
“The awards highlighted the strength and importance of cultural events in the North East region and how vital they are for the people who live here, work here and visit.
“The Festival of Thrift is all about sharing the joys of living a creative, sustainable and fulfilling life that’s also full of fun and we are very proud to be an award-winning part of the north east’s rich and vibrant cultural scene attracting visitors from all over the UK.”
Amanda Skelton, Chief Executive at Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, said: “Congratulations to Stella, her team and all the many creative and passionate people who made the Festival of Thrift such a success in 2016. The council is proud to sponsor the Festival and we are all looking forward to another great weekend in September 2017.”
The Best Event award is the latest in a series of accolades for the Festival of Thrift which have included national recognition from the Observer Ethical Awards’ Arts Award 2015 and the North East Tourist Event of 2015.
The 2016 Festival of Thrift was held at Kirkleatham near Redcar in the Tees Valley and attracted over 35,000 visitors with everyone who responded to a post-event survey rating the Festival positively and 95% describing the Festival as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’.
Figures after the event also revealed that it boosted the local economy to the tune of £1/2M with this expenditure by visitors supporting 10 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs.
The 2017 event takes place on 23 + 24 September at Kirkleatham Museum and Grounds. Further details: www.festivalofthrift.co.uk