Great North Feast food festival returns to Bents Park in South Shields for Bank Holiday weekend

The Great North Feast in the Park is taking place over Bank Holiday weekend – August 24, 25 and 26 – at Bents Park, with a host of stalls and a programme of live music.

The event attracted thousands of visitors in 2017 and 2018, and organisers have lined up three days of treats for people determined to make the most of the last long weekend of the year. Entrance is free.

Divine Caribbean and the Greek food specialists Phi Pie are among the stallholders, with three bars on site – Caribbean, Gin and Tipi and Ned’s Horsebox Bar – and a mouth-watering selection of food and drink to buy and try at home.

Music will be provided by Nick and Eliza, Salida, Beth Macari, Stealthy Rollers and Hatti Murdock and there will be lots of things to children enjoy.

Mark Deakin, one of the organisers of the Great North Feast in the Park, said: “The first two years proved to be really popular. But we’ve really stepped up things for 2019.

“There’s more entertainment, so we’re opening later into the evening and people will see a very different look. We’ve got teepees and stretch tents which will create a really great festival vibe.”

As well as the Great North Feast in the Park, Mark and his wife Shelley run Festival by the Sea – formerly the North East Chilli Fest – and other free events.

Nigel. “There are now so many pop-up events in the North East and, while that’s a good thing, we’re determined to make ours continue to stick out from the rest – and people will be able to see what we mean this weekend.

“Bents Park has been great and we plan to keep going there, but we’re also looking at new places. There’s likely to be a new event in a city centre called Feast in the City, for example. That might even take place on a rooftop.”

Great North Feast in the Park runs from 10am to 7pm on Saturday and Sunday, and 10am to 6pm on Bank Holiday Monday.