Canley Parade returning for 2023 with 'peacock' theme before free big lunch

[dutchman]

The event is back for a third year with music and activities as part of the Playing Out project



Samba sounds, flag waving and colourful outfits will once again be the order of the day when the Canley Parade returns to Coventry's streets. The celebration is back for a third year on Saturday, June 10 and planning is well under way.

This year's parade theme is 'proud as a peacock'. Pupils from local schools, as well as members of Canley churches, community groups and care home residents, will be showing off their creative skills.

Setting out from Canley Community Church on Charter Avenue at 11am, the parade snakes through the Coventry suburb before culminating at Prior Deram Park at 12.30pm. At the park, people can enjoy the Canley Big Lunch from 12pm to 4pm.

The big lunch promises an afternoon of activities with arts and crafts, a free pop-up café and barbecue, stalls and a table-top sale. The parade is part of the wider Playing Out project - a three-year programme taking place across Canley from 2021 to 2023.

A collaboration between Canley residents and nearby Warwick Arts Centre, Playing Out includes free weekly creative workshops at Canley Community Centre, St. Stephens Church and Canley Library, as well as creative sessions at Charter Academy, Cannon Park Primary School and Westwood Academy, plus Willowbrook Residential Village and Bonneville Place.

Gemma Wright, Warwick Arts Centre's head of creative learning, said: “The annual Canley Parade is an important part of the Playing Out project. It gives the entire community a chance to come together, show their pride in Canley and have a truly joyful celebration.”

See playingoutcanley.org for more information.