'Biggest and best' Houghton Feast kicks off with face paint, bagpipes and family fun

The Houghton Feast 2024 began on Friday night

The Houghton Feast has begun for 2024 - with what organisers think is its "biggest and best" schedule for many years set to delight visitors over the next ten days.

The first night saw a vibrant opening ceremony featuring some talented young performers - while the festival's grand illuminations were also switched on. Face-painting and even stilt-walkers helped get visitors in the mood.

The opening ceremony was enjoyed by young and old - while the mayor of Sunderland Coun Alison Chisnall was among those enjoying the ancient festivities, which date, in some form, back to the 1200s.

This year, the Feast's funfair will even open on Sunday, after Murphy's Funfairs were able to extend operations to the Sunday for the first time in memory. This was thanks to the hard work of people including Coun Kevin Johnston, who is chair of the Houghton Feast Steering Committee.

Ahead of this year's event, Coun Johnston said: "We are thrilled that our request to extend the events schedule for this year’s Houghton Feast has been granted.

“It’s not just a win for us, but for the entire community. Houghton Feast has been a tradition for generations, and hopefully the inclusion of more events on the Sunday is something we can factor into future events too as we continue to deliver an even bigger, better programme for people of all ages.

“I think I speak for the entire community when I say just how great it is to see everyone come together and we can’t wait for this year’s celebrations to get under way.”

After Friday's opening, a jam-packed Saturday will see the traditional Ox roast and the parade through the town, too. Later in the week, a packed programme of events will also feature a firework display on Monday evening.

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