Wakefield Rhubarb Festival up for tourism award

The annual festival, which attracts tens of thousands of visitors to the district, returned for its fourteenth year of rhubarb-inspired fun in February with the extended week-long event impressing the judges enough to secure a position as a finalist in the Tourism Event Award category.

Welcome to Yorkshire’s White Rose Awards is the largest tourism awards ceremony in the UK and an opportunity for Yorkshire to showcase the best and brightest it has to offer.

Coun Jacquie Speight, Wakefield Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Sport, said: “I am absolutely delighted that the Rhubarb Festival has secured its place as a finalist at this year’s White Rose Awards.

“Following the decision by the council to increase its investment into our festivals and events programme, this year’s Rhubarb Festival was even bigger and better than before, with a whole week of exciting events and activities for half-term week which included a top line-up of talented chefs, fun activities for all the family and a unique market with the region’s tastiest food and drink.

“For the first time we also used the former Market Hall as part of the Rhubarb Festival, which housed an exhibition by Martin Parr, a heritage display titled ‘A Force of Nature’, a series of family focused activities including a vegetable powered computer game, and a large screen showcasing the products of our bespoke digital creative challenge.

“At the centre was ‘The Rhubarb Shed’, an immersive installation created by local artist Tony Wade, who worked alongside renown rhubarb farmers Oldroyd's and local communities to create a display which not only featured real growing rhubarb but also conveyed the unique growing conditions of forced rhubarb and its importance to Wakefield’s heritage.

“Well done to the hard working team and good luck for the ceremony.”

The location, date and format of this year’s White Rose Awards is still to be decided. For more information about the awards visit https://wra.yorkshire.com/ #WRA2020

Follow @RhubarbFestival on Facebook and Twitter or visit www.experiencewakefield.co.uk/rhubarb for the latest updates on next year’s festival.