Dartford’s hugely popular St George’s Day parade is set to return as part of two days of festivities.
For the first time since 2019, Dartford’s town centre will be filled with celebrations to mark the festival of England’s patron saint. With St George’s Day falling on a Saturday this year, Dartford Borough Council and Cohesion Plus have arranged for a schools parade on Friday and town-wide celebrations on Saturday.
Eight local schools will be taking part in a parade from the Civic Centre to Central Park’s bandstand on Friday, April 22nd. The parade will also feature huge puppets of St George and the dragon, along with fusion drummers, brass bands and street entertainment.
Leader of the Council Jeremy Kite said: “We know how much local people have missed our St George’s Day parade and we’re really excited to bring it back with an extra day of activity.
“We’ve always been proud of our national day and after a difficult couple of years we will be making up for lost time so everyone can enjoy themselves. We’re also busy planning lots of events for later in the spring and summer so that people in Dartford can enjoy a great summer of activities.”
Gurvinder Sandher, CEO of organiser Cohesion Plus, said: “The Saint George’s Day celebrations in Dartford are one of the highlights of our year.
“They are a great example of the communities of Dartford coming together to celebrate not just Saint George but also the positive community relations enjoyed in the borough. I feel the celebrations are a beacon that other parts of the country could learn from.”