The renowned Bolton Food and Drink Festival has taken another top award after overcoming Storm Lilian to deliver an unforgettable weekend.
Facing off against tough competition, the festival won the “Leading Live Event” category at the 2024 This Is Manchester Awards.
The panel was impressed with the festival’s track record and longevity, stating it has been “bringing the community together for two decades.”
In addition to winning the ‘Most Loved Event’ at the I Love Manchester Awards in 2023, this is the second time the festival has won the prestigious award, after previously claiming it in 2022, highlighting the consistent high standards set by the team that delivers the iconic event.
This year’s award was hard earned after Storm Lilian caused chaos and serious damage in the town centre just hours before the festival was due to open.
The opening was postponed, but in true Bolton fashion the team declared that “the show must go on” as council staff, partners, sponsors and the community worked tirelessly to ensure that the site was ready to open on Saturday morning.
With three days remaining to soak up the party atmosphere, people attended in their thousands with traders reporting record sales.
It was all smiles for the rest of the bank holiday weekend as people enjoyed the variety of activities, from celebrity chef demos, music stages, children’s events or the 200 market stalls selling the best local produce, all supported by Headline Sponsors Watson Homes.
Saturday’s headline celebrity chef, Ainsley Harriot was impressed with the strength and resilience shown by everyone, saying “one of the reasons I come to Bolton again, and again and again is because of the people.”
Bolton Council’s Executive Cabinet Member for Culture, Cllr Nadeem Ayub, said:
“The Bolton Food and Drink Festival is our biggest event of the year, and we were never going to let the bad weather dampen our spirits.
“We have a strong community that will always pull together in the face of adversity to make the impossible, possible.
“Everyone works tirelessly on this event to make each year better than the last and this award is thoroughly deserved, proving that hard work and dedication pays off.”
Bolton Council Leader, Cllr Nick Peel, said:
“We’ve had the pleasure of putting on this amazing event for the past 19 years and it is the highlight of our events calendar every year.
“Events like this drive our visitor economy, increasing footfall to the town centre, supporting our local businesses and making our town centre more vibrant.
“This year wasn’t without its challenges, but we certainly proved we know how to put on a show, and I couldn’t be more proud of everyone involved.”
Bolton Food and Drink Festival will return in 2025, so keep an eye on our website and socials for all the latest updates.