This will be the third year of Manchester's mass picnic in the park, with entertainment all round the lakeside.

Feast! is for everyone - families, groups and friends - three days of outdoor entertainment, live arts and communal feasting are free and everybody is invited!

Families and communities from all over the region visit FEAST! each year to set up pitch and see if their own picnic area can win them a tasty prize. Prize winning has emerged because the pitches are so good - previous examples have included a full banquet with a butler and an elaborate home farm complete with picket fences and stuffed animals. Chairs and tables are also provided with a spread of world foods available at the stalls for those who'd prefer not to prepare!

Presented by Manchester International Arts, FEAST! Picnic by the Lake is a smorgasbord of entertainment and festivity. It is multi-cultural Manchester at its best, for families from all walks of life and all communities to share good food and company and to enjoy some of the best outdoor performance from Britain and abroad. 

Included at this year's festival are Manchester Oriental Organisations Alliance who will turn one of the lakeside trees into a Chinese traditional wishing tree. The Red Cross will work alongside them to raise money for the two terrible disasters that have beset South East Asia.

Tonefloat is sure to intrigue the children - a giant musical, smoothie making milk float with milk bottles tuned to create a medley of sounds while mixing up the sweet stuff ! Urban Canvas's Lantern Launch will be a spectacular sight as hundreds of lanterns made at the end of exam celebrations are launched onto the lake along with hundreds of others made at FEAST itself.

FEAST is renowned for its atmosphere, and each year's festival boasts its own extraordinary moments and encounters... "a Brilliant, brilliant, BRILLIANT festival! Better and better each year!"

www.youtube.com/festivals08
www.streetsahead.org.uk

See our event listing for more information about this fantastic family friendly event!