Foxton Locks canal festival to celebrate historic role played by Leicestershire’s waterways

The event

The festival, taking place on 7 and 8 June, is being organised by the Leicestershire branch of the Inland Waterways Association with local partners including us and Harborough District Council. The event marks the 75th anniversary of the 1950 Festival of Boats & Arts which was held in Market Harborough and became a tipping point in the campaign to prevent the loss of the nation’s formerly industrial waterways.

The free event will see a huge number of boats, including historic working boats and floating traders, moored at the top and bottom of the flight of locks at Foxton, the longest steepest staircase flight of locks in the country.

Visitors will be able to buy a variety of crafts and other items from trading stalls in the event field, where there will also be a range of activities, exhibitions, demonstrations, live music, food stalls and refreshments.

On the Saturday a cavalcade of colourful boats will make their way down the flight of ten locks and cruise to Union Wharf in Market Harborough, the location of the 1950 Festival of Boats & Arts.

The event is also being supported by Foxton Canal Museum, Old Union Canals Society and GL Events.

Keeping our historic canals alive

Andrew Shephard, chairman of the Leicestershire branch of the IWA, said: “The 1950 Festival of Boats & Arts was a pivotal event and helped to trigger the transformation of the nation’s formerly industrial waterways into the valuable leisure resource that is enjoyed by so many today. The need to keep our historic canals alive remains as important today as it ever was and we want to encourage local people and boaters to join us for this fantastic celebration of our wonderful waterways.”

Linny Beaumont, East Midlands our director, said: “We’re really looking forward to this event which should be a real spectacle and lots of fun. At a time when our historic waterways are again under threat, from spiralling costs and the impacts of climate change, it’s important that we all take the time to celebrate how special they are – and what better way than spending time with the family at fantastic Foxton Locks.”

There are a few remaining spaces for stall holders in the event field next to the famous flight of locks. Anyone interested in booking a stall can find out more and apply on the [IWA website.](https://iwaharborough75.org/sktevents/exhibitors-pitch-booking/](https://iwaharborough75.org/sktevents/exhibitors-pitch-booking/)

To find out more about the festival go to the IWA website.