Sweeps Festival in Rochester Kent

Sweeps Festival in Rochester Kent (c) Arthur Cornwell (p) GoUK.com

What

Sweeps Festival

When

5 to 7 May 2012

Where

Sweeps Festival, High Street, Rochester, Kent ME1 1LX

The Fanfare

Every year thousands of people visit the Kent town of Rochester for the annual Sweeps Festival in May.

The festival, now in its 32nd year, takes its inspiration from the holiday traditionally given to boy chimney sweeps.

Before the Climbing Boys’ Act in 1868 made it illegal, young boys were sent up chimneys to clean them. It was a dirty and low-paid job.

The young sweeps were given 1 May as a holiday and would celebrate their day away from the soot and grime with a May Day procession.

This one-day holiday started with a dawn ceremony to waken a traditional 2-metre (7-ft) high figure representing Jack-in-the-Green, who would then join them in their parade.

After the 1868 law, interest in the annual procession faded and the last parade was held in 1900.

The modern three-day festival was revived in 1981 and folk music and traditional dance groups from across the country now take part, including many Morris dancing ‘sides’ (teams).

There is much free music in the pubs and bars of Rochester and the festivities still begin with the traditional dawn wakening of Jack-in-the-Green.

This year’s Sweeps Festival takes place on the Bank Holiday weekend of 5–7 May 2012.

Sweeps Festival, High Street, Rochester, Kent ME1 1LX
Tel: +44 1634 306000
Website: www.medway.gov.uk