A new Stevenage festival has been shortlisted in three categories of a prestigious national industry awards to mark a “stunning” first year.
More than 6,000 people flocked to the inaugural Todd in the Hole Festival staged at Todds Green in July, with the event championing the weird and wacky.
On the back of its success, the event has now been nominated in the national UK Festival Awards 2018 in the Best New Festival, Best Small Festival and The Grassroots Festival Award categories.
The festival is up against Hertfordshire’s Wilkestock Charity Music Festival, which is held at Frogmore Hill between Stevenage and Watton-at-Stone, in two of the awards.
Todd in the Hole organisers are urging its supporters and the people of Hertfordshire to get behind it by voting for the festival.
David Nye, co-founder of Todd in the Hole, said: “We had a stunning first festival, the event was all about bringing the community together for a bit of old-fashioned fun at the same time as celebrating our love for the British countryside.
“We had 6,000 people come together for one of the biggest parties Stevenage has seen for a very long time, and now to cap it off we are in the running for three national awards.
“So, please get behind us and vote for Todd in the Hole in UK Festival Awards 2018.”
Kate Bush tribute act Cloudbusting, The Counterfeit Stones, The Fifth Wheel and an ABBA tribute band entertained the crowds at the first Todd in the Hole, while Leigh Casling, from St Albans, was crowned the winner of The Great British Elvis Off at the event.
Foodies tucked into street food from South Africa, India and Greece, and also local delicacies from The Great British Sausage company and The Crispy Duck Rotisserie.
Mr Nye, who is also director of The Great British Sausage Company, said the event had raised money for local mental health charity Just One Click Away (JOCA), and would be making a return in 2019.
The UK Festival Awards’ 15th edition will take place on December 6 at a glitzy London ceremony.
To vote for the Todd in the Hole Festival, visit https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/NW3CN6N
The dates for next year’s event have been set for the weekend of Saturday, July 20.
• For further information about ‘early bird’ tickets for the 2019 festival, visit https://www.toddinthehole.co.uk/
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