Be WOWed - we were!
The weather was fantastic, the crowds were enthralled and the entertainment was fabulous. Windermere On Water just gets better and better.
Over 4,000 people gathered on the Glebe on Saturday night and were entertained by the Lakes Jazzmen and the Staveley Kookuburras with a lively mix of jazz and tango drumming. As daylight faded and the wind dropped coloured lights started to play on the trees that fringe the lake and music started to excite the seated crowd. Then a heady mix of fireworks, music, and theatre kept the crowds mesmerised for nearly an hour as an age-old story unfolded. The show 'Veles & Vents' (Sails & Winds) was inspired by Valencian folk stories of the wind and weather. With a huge stage and some complicated and imaginative sets Xarxa kept the crowds captivated with their show.
Saturday and Sunday daytimes also treated us to some of the funniest entertainment Windermere, Bowness and Ambleside have seen. With sites at the Windermere Station, the pier in Bowness and Market Cross in Ambleside 'St Joan's Ambulance', the 'Van Dunk Brothers' and the 'Pirates of Menspants' had us all in stitches with their synchronised swimming routines, very dubious health and safety advice and efforts to press gang us in to a life on the ocean waves.
The first Windermere Open Sailing Regatta proved very popular for sailors and those who just wanted to sit quietly and look at the lake were treated to a spectacular sight as boats of all different sizes and classes took to the water to take part in the racing.
The whole event was well attended and the organisers have had some great feedback. WOW continues to capture the imagination for visitors and residents alike. Residents have embraced the event in its second year, participating in many of the activities and welcoming the high-quality of the street performers and Xarxa.
WOW is funded by Cumbria Vision, Cumbria Tourism, Lake District National Park Authority, Arts Council England & the Northern Rock Foundation. WOW is managed by South Lakes Development Trust, and sponsored by Lakeland.
Abi Willis Marketing & PR
07710424998 or festivalpr@mac.com
Please tell us what you thought of WOW! What was good, and what do we need to work on? Send your thoughts & feedback to feedback@wow2007.co.uk or use the comment form below!