V2 Radio helped residents and families get in the party spirit at Chichester’s Summer Street Party

Hundreds of people filled the High Street for Chichester’s second Summer Street Party on Thursday 26 August.

The event, which was delivered by Chichester District Council, with support from the Chichester Business Improvement District (BID), was a huge success, welcoming residents, workers and visitors into Chichester City Centre to celebrate the High Street. Data shows that footfall was up 62% between 7am and 9pm on the day of the event when compared to the average footfall of the prior four Thursdays and increased to 88% between 2pm and 8pm while the event took place.

A host of local food vendors and a variety of shops and businesses from the city centre took part, offering a wide range of family friendly activities, entertainment and refreshments. Local businesses were encouraged to stay open late and run in-store activities and promotions for their customers. Many also took part in the fashion show on East Street.

Peter Allinson from Whirligig Toys, says: “It was lovely to see Chichester packed with people having a fun day out. It was a great way for an independent business to meet up with new and existing customers and everyone was having a good time.”

Kelly Mitchell from Cherry Vintage, adds: “I thought it was really fun. I got my family and friends involved and they had a blast and it was great to see so many businesses getting involved. The support from the public was amazing too.”

Dave Hockridge from Present Surprise, says: “It was fantastic to see the city centre busy. There was lots of great street entertainment and it was good to see everyone enjoying themselves on a sunny afternoon.”

Children were kept entertained by a carousel, trampolines, balloon artist, lizard handling, and face painting; and by the wealth of activities put on by local groups and organisations.

Visitors also had the opportunity to give their feedback on the event for a chance to win four free tickets to the season finale at Goodwood Racecourse on Sunday 10 October.

Some examples of the feedback received include:

“Lovely event with something for everyone. Thank you to all involved.”

“It was lovely to have this in our community and being able to enjoy it. Something different to look forward to – very well done.”
“Brilliant to see the city centre buzzing with lots of businesses and people using the opportunity to make up for lost time.”

Councillor Alan Sutton, Cabinet Member for Housing, Communications, Licensing and Events at Chichester District Council, says: “I would like to thank everyone who came along to the second Chichester Summer Street Party. It was wonderful to see people come together and enjoy the fantastic entertainment, delicious street food, and music from V2 radio throughout the evening. It's vital that we all play our part to help our High Streets recover and this was a fantastic way to bring everyone together to celebrate our city.”

Helen Marshall, Vice Chair and CEO at Chichester BID, says: “The footfall the city experienced over the course of the event was amazing with the fashion show, kids’ area, live music and alfresco dining being the big draws, for families especially. The businesses of Chichester really threw themselves into the event with creative ideas and they have received loads of great feedback – it was a brilliant opportunity for them to be able to showcase what their businesses have to offer.”