Thousands of fans expected in Harrogate to watch the Tour de France will now be able to have fun at a four day festival (3-6th July) right on the finish line.
Details have just been announced that Velo-GoGo – the exclusive organiser and rights holder of the Tour De France Fan Parks in England and Ireland – has chosen Harrogate as the venue for its inaugural Yorkshire event. Three other festivals will also be held during the Tour but they are all in London.
Leader of Harrogate Borough Council, Councillor Anthony Alton, welcomes this decision. He added: We have been in negotiations with Velo-GoGo over the past few months and I am delighted that everything has now been agreed. This is just the best news for dedicated Tour fans and other tourists and, of course, our own residents.
We had always planned to have a fan zone on West Park Stray but this takes it to another level and it also gives businesses the chance to get involved too.
Velo-Gogo say that they plan to bring the biggest celebration of cycling the region has ever seen.
Ross Blake, founder of Velo-GoGo added: Harrogate is an idyllic setting and a perfect spot to watch the coverage of the Grand Départ right from the moment the riders are announced in Leeds on 3 July. But there is so much more than that. There will be all the live action via our big screens. There will be a celebration of cycling on a scale never witnessed in the UK before, the best in cycling activations and games, cinema nights, party nights, live music and celebrities. Our pilot event last year at Canary Wharf in London was hailed a major success and with the entire route being on French soil, it was a brilliant focus for Froome fans!
The Tour de France Fan Park Harrogate in association with Nuffield Health will host a Foodies Festival where a number of artisan, pop-up gastro food and street food vendors will provide a range of delicious cuisine. There will be a number of bars so visitors can come and unwind and relax in the festival atmosphere of le village. Each Fan Park will have its own unique twist. Stay tuned for info by watching our website.
The 2014 Fan Parks are being delivered in association with Nuffield Health who plan to use this unique opportunity to engage with thousands of fans expected across the Fan Parks – with a real focus on Harrogate.
Sarah Orio, Marketing Director Wellbeing is co-ordinating activity and commented: This is an amazing opportunity for Nuffield to engage directly with fans of cycling in Harrogate and for Nuffield to tell its story of health as it should be, bringing to life our services to demonstrate integrated wellbeing and healthcare for our customers.
Anyone interested in volunteering, sponsoring or exhibiting at the Harrogate Fan Park should contact Velo-GoGo – see details at http://www.tourdefrancefanpark.co.uk or email info@velo-gogo.com
and those interested in the Food Festival should contact sue.hitchen@foodiesfestival.com 0131 226 7766 or visit http://foodiesfestival.com/
Harrogate Borough Council is also supporting fan parks in Masham, Ripon, Starbeck and Knaresborough.
Well I am thrilled for Harrogate to have this event and everything that comes with it for local businesses but I live in the West Park Stray area and our family life will become impossible. Nobody seems to care about local residents who need to get out and around Harrogate and who need to use their cars for business and will be totally locked in! Can somebody on the organising team arrange that residents have a pass for getting in and out of their parking spaces?