Summer festival coming to Tilling Green

A three-day festival has been confirmed for the summer at Tilling Green. The Green Waves Community Festival will take place on August 29-31. Graham Ellis, from Tilling Green Events, explains how the event is coming together.

Until 2018 there was an annual festival and other events held on the estate, and community cohesion and pride was much greater as it enabled residents to engage with their neighbours. In the spring of 2024 a group began meeting bi-weekly to address the issue and an ambitious list of proposed activities was compiled.

In September, a survey was sent to the 478 households via email assisted by the Southern Housing Group and by hand with help from the Rye Partnership. While most of the twenty-one proposed activities were favourably received, by far the biggest support was for the Green Waves Community Festival.

With help from local residents, the chair of the Tilling Green Residents Association, a town councillor and leaders of other prominent local organisations – including Rye Chamber of Commerce, Rye Community Hospital, Rye Youth Zone, FAiR and several other charities – we have devised a plan, and raised some funding through our newly-formed community interest company.

We are planning a classic three-day village fete using the field at Tilling Green Community Centre, providing activities for all ages.

On the Friday we’ll have a football penalty shoot-out followed by a youth disco dance party in our grand marquee.

Saturday will include family entertainment with an arena featuring a dog show, games like tug-of-war and performances by local dance groups and martial arts teams. Our stage will feature several fun bands while participants can visit sideshow games, local organisation booths, food vendors, a tea tent, a beer tent and enjoy circus acts and, we hope, a celebrity appearance. Plus expect with a rousing performance by Rye’s own super group, the Rockitmen.

Sunday is a pirate themed picnic party for the whole family with many of Saturday’s activities, plus performances by local sea shanty bands.

The Green Waves Community Festival aims to foster community pride through a sense of belonging, community engagement and participation as past festivals demonstrated they were the glue binding our community together. We aim for shared experiences – enjoying music, food, displays of multiple community organisations and performances to lead to lasting bonds that are essential for a cohesive community.

We have received support from the Lottery Fund, Little Cheyne Wind Farm, Rye Partnership and Tilling Green Residents Association but we need more sponsors. If you or your organisation are able to assist us in any way please contact Dan Lake at tillinggreenevents@gmail.com.