Sutton Coldfield Town Hall announces huge September event
Sutton Coldfield Town Hall is to hold a traditional fete to celebrate a year of community efforts and its reopening to the public for shows.
The charity venue, which has been hosting NHS vaccinations since February, has received a Community Grant from Sutton Coldfield Town Council to help set up the event on Sunday 12th September.
The day will include fete stalls, activities and community groups. A live music stage will feature local bands and comperes and a storytelling stage has been constructed for the public ground at the back of the Town Hall.
Tudor Community Sports Trust will be demonstrating Crown Green Bowls and local organisations such as The UP Creative Community, Folio Sutton Coldfield and Sutton Coldfield Litter Action Group will be showcasing their activities.
Special guest Henry VIII, played by Performance Historian John S. White, will be making appearances throughout the day.
The Town Hall will offer tours as part of the National 'Heritage Open Day’ project, with visitors able to see backstage, dressing rooms and the reportedly haunted ‘area beneath the stage’.
Visitors will find out about its history, developing from a Victorian hotel which welcomed health-seekers on steam trains to take in the nature and clean air of Sutton Park, expanding in 1905 as a council building and theatre, also used as a fire station and hospital across the years.
Now a charity-owned building, in recent years the building has been used as a dance school, film set, wedding and meeting venue and performance space.
Managing Director Julie Rennison said “With tours, pre-bookable picnics and afternoon teas, traditional fete stalls, local history and storytelling, this is a great way to get to know one of the region’s fastest growing venues with a fascinating past!
"It’s also a good way to find out about restoration projects and front of house volunteering”.
The free-to-enter, family friendly fete will be open 11am - 6pm. More information will emerge in the coming weeks on their social media and website, with any enquiries to be made to julie@suttoncoldfieldtownhall.com
With good weather, parts of the fete and music will be held on the grassy area at the back of the Town Hall, moved into the theatre if there is extreme weather.
