Kendal Torchlight Carnival
We’re Involved In
Kendal Torchlight
Kendal’s annual Torchlight celebrations are more than just a single summer weekend, it’s a year-round opportunity for locals to immerse themselves in community and engage in the region’s clear affection for the creative arts.
At its heart, the event is an exercise in self-love, rightfully celebrating what makes Kendal such a vibrant mix of people, places and passions. With its schools, colleges, community groups and of course, it’s local businesses (of which we’re proudly one), working together to promote the area, near and afar.
Set up over 50 years ago in 1970, the event has developed from float based parade, with over 130 entrants each year, to a weekend long spectacle with activities, events and pop up performances the whole family can enjoy. Not to mention the series of workshops and classes that run through the year! Despite the changes though, the event has always had the same two objectives in its impressive half century of life…
- To promote Kendal and its surrounding districts for the benefit of local residents, tourists, businesses and industry by organising events, shows, exhibitions and carnivals including and in particular the Kendal Torchlight Procession.
- To encourage participation in such events, making them accessible to all members of the community without exception.
If it hadn’t already become apparent, organizing such a feat requires a strong team behind it, truly dedicated to the cause – one that’s capable of organizing everything from road closures and permits to stage construction and metal forgery. It requires community, and that’s exactly what it is. It’s run by a fantastic team of volunteers, who year after year dedicate countless hours to give back and showcase the best our local area has to offer.
Torchlight 2022
Going the extra mile...
We went beyond our usual services and really committed to our role as members of the community and the Torchlight team.
We spent numerous summer evenings crafting lanterns and running workshops; and when the dates arrived we donned high vis jackets, manning the info stalls for hours on end. Heck, we not only booked acts for the stage, we played it too! Not to mention, feeding those hard working, but very hungry volunteers who joined us for our annual litter picking event. Annette even managed the finances, taking on even greater responsibility to make sure the event was able to run as smoothly as possible! No job really was too big, or too small!
A message from Annette
I have very special memories of watching the Torchlight procession since I was very small. It has been an annual tradition in my life and is such a big part of living in Kendal. In 2012 I became involved in organising the event and was amazed at how much was achieved by such a small team of dedicated people. It’s been a real honour to work with them to help keep this annual tradition alive.
