Community leaders are once again asking local people to help make Dartford the ‘St Georgiest town in England’ this St George’s Day.

Cohesion Plus, Dartford Borough Council and Kent Equality Cohesion Council are working together to organise fantastic St George’s Day celebrations on Friday 22 April and Saturday 23 April and aim to make them some of the biggest celebrations taking place anywhere in England.

There will be entertainment in the High Street at One Bell Corner from 12.45pm before some 500 children from 9 local schools will take part in a parade, starting at the Civic Centre in Home Gardens at 1.35pm. The procession will go through the town centre to Central Park where the celebrations will finish around the Bandstand at 2.30pm. The Parade will be led by the Mayor of Dartford Councillor Ian Armitt and Council Leader Jeremy Kite along with guests from Cohesion Plus.

Suitably rousing entertainment will include the Premier Brass Band, Bollywood Brass Band, West Hill Morris Dance Troupe, Four by Four Dhol Drummers, a Town Crier, a Saint George in full armour and Medieval Court Jesters. Celebrations are set to continue the following morning from 11.00 am in the form of a meet and greet with Saint George himself as well as performances by the Premier Brass Band along the High Street.

The event puts good old St George, the Patron Saint of England at the centre of the town’s celebration and invites everyone to join in a great celebration of this wonderful country and all the people who call it home.

Dev Sharma MBE, the Chair of the Kent Equality Cohesion Council which is organising the celebrations commented, “We are very passionate about Saint George’s Day as we believe it is an excellent way for communities to come together and share our common values and celebrate what it means to be English today.”

Timetable of Activities:

12.45pm – 1.30pm       Entertainment in the High Street featuring Brass Bands and Morris Dancers  1.35pm – 2pm                Schools parade starting from the Civic Centre in Home Gardens going via Orchard Shopping Centre and the High Street, pausing briefly outside Memorial Gardens for the raising of the flag of Saint George before ending on the Bandstand in Central Park. 2pm – 2.30pm                Entertainment on the Bandstand in Central Park The celebrations are being funded by Cohesion Plus Kent, Kent Equality Cohesion Council, Dartford Borough Council and Arts Council England