INDEPENDENT businesses in Winchester are celebrating the success of their inaugural mini-festival, with the hope of spreading awareness of the traders based off the beaten track.
Patronise Parchment Street debuted on Friday, May 26 and Saturday, May 27, with historical tours, a kite trail and all sorts of discounts to encourage more customers to the independent businesses located a stone’s throw from the High Street.
Organisers Charlie Broom, of the Cupboard of Health, and Tim Beavis, of Piecaramba, are optimistic that the event will reel in the crowds and improve support for independents in the city.
READ MORE: Parchment Street to host mini festival for independent businesses
Charlie said: “It was really lovely to have music here and there was such a festive feel. I’ve got to know everyone along the street now, it’s achieved such a community feeling.
“Despite sunshine luring people to the coast for the bank holiday, I think the event has put Parchment Street at the forefront of people's minds.
“The Business Improvement District (BID) has seen us get off our own backside and be proactive. They’ve said they could look at making this a yearly festival, so with more support it could be a much more effective event.
“Music therapist and harpist Meta Killick, a regular presence on Winchester High Street, claims she's found a new lucrative busking spot on Parchment Street near Diamantina and Ellie and Bea. So this might encourage other musicians to grace our street with their talents.”
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To mark the event, Piecaramba offered an exclusive Parchment Street Pie of beef bourguignon, while Mrs Miles Magic was outside the restaurant offering free face painting.
Co-organiser Tim said: “The parchment pie went off, every table was ordering it. It’s so nice to see people entering into the spirit of the other businesses and hopefully the group WhatsApp keeps going.
“Prior to this, everyone would say they’d never been here before so hopefully now it becomes more of a regular spot for people in and visiting Winchester.
“There’s a lot of indie alternatives to chains here and they thrived over lockdown. It seems to be what more people are looking for now and happy to spend their money on. We just need to get people to come here initially.”
Tour guide Claire Dixon was on hand throughout the two-day event to provide the history behind Parchment Street, the road with the highest concentration of independent businesses in Winchester.
Meanwhile, the kite trail created by Anna Devlin's Sunnyside Art Club has been extended for the rest of half-term so participants can still collect and return completed trail forms to the Cupboard Of Health, with prizes up for grabs.
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