The Hessle Feast

 From articles in 1808 and 1836 it is clear that the Feast had become a major event bringing in people from neighbouring towns and villages. With much excitement, racing, noise and jubilee. As ever the youth made it their own. Even in the earliest reports, there are Churchwardens concerns over noisy and drunken behaviour “particularly of the young men of Hull” who visited the parish.
Resurrected around 15 years ago, after many years of absence, the Feast has again become an event of enjoyment and embraced by the whole community of Hessle.
Previous Feasts include one which occurred in July 2006. It succeeded in attracting over 5000 local residents and visitors to the area and was an entertaining day of charitable money raising, family fun and live music. The event hosted many activities such as a Battle of the Bands which took place on the main stage in Hessle Square, a 'Buskathon' centred down Prestongate and local bands centred on a smaller stage on The Weir. There was also a Boat Race around the streets of Hessle, which was eventually won by army cadets carrying an inflatable float. The event was partly funded and majorly sponsored by Kingston Communications and Yorkshire Water who were working in the area at the time.
Hessle Feast returned, after a 3 year absence due to the 2007 United Kingdom floods, in 2009. It was officially opened by the then Home Secretary, Hull West and Hessle MP, Alan Johnson, and the Mayor of Hessle, Frank Kitchen, at 1 p.m..