York, are you ready to party?
Spark York turns five years old this week – and they are promising ‘York’s biggest birthday party’.
It will involve everything from a street food reunion to an art exhibition, carnival games to new cocktails.
Box park community venue Spark turns five on Thursday (5 May). Here’s how it looked when it opened back in 2018.
And to mark the milestone they are staging five days of celebrations, running from Thursday to Bank Holiday Monday, 8 May.
Throughout the five days, Spark will welcome back previous street food traders, such as Tricolor York, Flori Bakery, and Melk who will be serving their delicious treats.
Visitors can hunt for the golden ticket – the prize is a ‘high value’ gift voucher, with clues left on Spark’s social media channels.
You can try the birthday cocktail and mocktail specials created by Boho Mixologists.
DJ Boon and Upside Your Mind will provide music.
On Thursday (4 May), there’s a birthday edition of general knowledge game Quingo – with bonus questions on the story of Spark, and big prizes to be won.
Free birthday cake and cupcakes will be available on a first come, first served basis.
On Friday, two exhibitions open. An art show will feature the work of Spark’s resident artists – Dominic Brooks, Leon Francois Dumont, Jake Moore, Lucy Topham, and Kai West who work in the Make Studio at the Piccadilly venue.
“The show is an opportunity to signpost the creativity that occurs in Spark cultivated by their studio spaces allowing the freedom to create, make mess, and foster community,” said Leon, one of the co-hosts.
Meanwhile a photography exhibition charting five years of Spark begins in one of the retail units.
Entry to both is free.
Over the weekend, look out for a variety of carnival games, with prizes up for grabs.
And on Monday, kids and big kids alike can have their faces painted by Alex from Face Paint York.
Spark York is open throughout the Bank Holiday weekend, serving food until 9pm (8pm on Monday, with “drinks poured until a little later”.
Gemma Spivey, general manager of Spark, said: “We’ve been squirrelling away to put on a packed weekend to celebrate every single person who has helped us become who we are!
“We can’t wait to welcome you all into the venue and say thanks to everyone who has contributed to our growing community over the past five years – here’s to many more.”
Find out more on the Spark York website.
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