London Glassblowing and Daniel Cobb Estate Agents are running the festival for 2024 – promising another year of festivities
“This festival embodies the creative energy and resilient spirit of Bermondsey Street, and the surrounding areas, which we take great pride in. It deserves to be cherished and uplifted as an annual milestone we all eagerly anticipate,” says Gena Johns, gallery director at London Glassblowing.
Bermondsey Street Festival will return for another year after Gena and George Cobb, managing director of Daniel Cobb Estate Agents, stepped in to organise the event after they heard the original organiser, Bill Owen, was taking a step back from leading the event.
It will take place on Saturday 21 September 2024, from 11am to 6pm.
Having worked on the street for nearly eight years, Gena says the festival has been an integral part of the gallery’s events calendar.
She adds: “Along with all of the other boutique shops and independent restaurants on the street, I have witnessed first-hand how the festival fosters connection, community and economic vitality.
“The collectors who frequent our gallery flock to attend, absolutely loving the chance to hunt for discounted treasures, watch glassblowers at work in our studio, and get involved in the fun festival antics.”
George remembers how Bermondsey Street Festival began as a small local festival, with a charming village fete feel, but then, over the years, “it’s grown in both size and scale, transforming into one of London’s most exciting street events”.
“It is the time of the year when Bermondsey Street comes to life, and you get to see it at its best. It’s a joyful, wonderfully vibrant, exciting place to be with visitors descending on the street during the day. Daniel Cobb has been part of and a sponsor for many years, and absolutely loved every second of it,” George says.
He explains how, when you’re moving to a new area, the first Introduction to the locality is normally through your estate agent, like Daniel Cobb, “so we felt it was really important we acted as a vehicle to help people properly immerse themselves in the local area” through community events, like Bermondsey Street Festival.
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After receiving funding from Southwark Council, they are able to continue the legacy of this local fest.
Gena says: “Bermondsey Street Festival is an invaluable event for businesses, makers and entrepreneurs on the street and in the area to showcase their talents – not to mention the beautiful memories it creates simply strolling the stalls.
“The possibility of losing such an iconic Bermondsey tradition would have a huge impact on the community, and the festival means too much to our close-knit street of residents and independent businesses alike.”
‘Pull quote: “’The possibility of losing such an iconic Bermondsey tradition would have a huge impact on the community’
George agrees that losing the festival was not an option. He says: “Community events like this are a wonderful vehicle to bring people together and celebrate everything that is so great about the local area.
“We often choose where we live because we’re attracted to something in that area, whether it’s the community, the people, the amenities, whatever it might be. And we certainly find with Bermondsey, a lot of it is about what the residents and local shops bring to the street that make it so vibrant, and that people love.
“And that’s what the day is, it’s a celebration of everything that’s great about Bermondsey Street.”
Both London Glassblowing and Daniel Cobb hope to further rally support and sponsors to ensure Bermondsey Street Festival continues delighting locals and those from further afield for years to come.
Gena adds: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the words of support from all of the regular stallholders and many businesses that want to lend their expertise to help in any capacity they can to keep it going – this shows real community.”
Planning for the 2024 festival includes the same structure as previous years, “as organiser Bill did an incredible job running it so successfully over a number of years”, says Gena.
You can expect to see more food stalls in the park to create a culinary experience, more artisan and craft stalls, as well as the businesses on the street extending their offerings.
“I’m honoured to play a part in preserving this cherished legacy for our vibrant neighbourhood,” Gena concludes.
If you wish to host a stall or get involved in the festivities, you can get in touch at: [email protected]
