THE Calne Music and Arts Festival got underway in style yesterday with record numbers of visitors to both the Family Fun Day at Marden House and the Calne Pig Parade at the Town Hall.
2024 marks the 50th Calne Music and Arts Festival and is also 40 years since the demolition of the Harris Factory and to celebrate the occasion, Calne Music and Arts Festival organisers came up with the idea of a Calne Pig Parade. The pigs were available to buy at the Calne Carnival for residents to take home and decorate however they pleased.
The project saw great community involvement, schools and local groups received free pigs to decorate and the food bank were supplied with 50 pigs to ensure everyone could join in.
Yesterday, marked the finale of the project with a special Pig Parade exhibiting all the entries at the Town Hall. A staggering 702 visitors came to see the colourful display of completed pigs.
An additional 50 community group pigs were also on display at the Calne Heritage Centre where they will remain throughout October alongside the Festival at 50 exhibition.
Hallmark who had printed all the photos for the 'Festival at 50' exhibition chose the White Horse Cherhill pig by Rowenna. This little piggy got a lot of attention as it was also picked as the Town Mayor's Supreme Champion. Sarah Gibson MP will be taking the lucky piglet to Westminster to experience the life of an MP for a while.
The Little Button Jar donated a £50 voucher to the People's Vote Winner - Rosie by Jennie Weller and also gave prizes to their loved pigs, Harris Tweed and an entry from Calne Seniors / Reconnecting Group.
Calne Speech and Drama School and Heart of the Community won Town Mayor's highly commended for community group pigs, Small Town Pig by Thomas won Town Mayor's highly commended for individual pig entry.
Calne Music and Arts Festivals winners were : 1st prize - Dragon Pig, 2nd prize - Up, Up & Away and Highly commended - 'Piggles' and 'Lance'. Two Piglet prizes (young people entries) - Ellia's Harry Trotter and a wonderfully creative pig by 2 1/2 year old Fliss.The Mill Race were chosen as paper pig winners for their display along the windows of Marden House, created by their service users.
The village pig prize went to Cherhill Monument Pig in support of Cherhill Village Hall.
Town Mayor Jon Fisher said: "Thanks to the Calne Music and Arts Festival committee for putting on such a great event. It really caught the public imagination, and inspired so much creativity.
"The community came out by the hundreds to see the different pigs at the pig parade and it was a joy to see so many different people choosing their favourite. The real winner though is our town and the lovely people who live here - we went the whole hog on this as we do with so many of our incredible events. Well done Calne!"
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