CASTLE SQUARE AND ELEPHANT PARK HOST PACKED WEEKEND OF FREE ACTIVITIES FOR THE JUBILEE

Elephant Park and adjacent Castle Square have a packed programme of free activities for people to get involved in for next month’s Jubilee weekend. Stretching across the full long bank holiday there are street parties, live music, dog show competitions, and the return of the popular ‘Welcome to the Gaybourhood Party.’

The festivities get started on Thursday 2nd June with the third edition of the, now annual, ‘Welcome to the Gaybourhood’ party. This year they have a very regal twist with the theme being … hey Qween! Hosted by popular restaurant and bar, Bobo Social on Sayer Street, the party will be coronating the long Jubilee bank holiday weekend, spinning hits from the very best pop, disco and dancing queens! Bobo Social will be serving 2 for 1 drinks between 6-7pm and staying open late until 12am. Entry is free, but please RSVP via Outsavvy so your hosts, Richard and Taj, have an idea of numbers.

Friday 3rd June welcomes our first street party of the weekend, hosted by diverse foodie destination, Castle Square. From 11am until 5pm guests can enjoy a day full of music, food, drinks, performances, and activities for the whole family to enjoy. Londoners and locals alike will be able to taste local delicacies from around the world provided by the traders of Castle Square and neighboring tenants, located in outside food stalls for the day. Visitors can indulge in the offerings in the al-fresco dining area where tables and chairs will fill Castle Square for an authentic street party.

The traders of Castle Square will each provide an exclusive Jubilee menu, priced at just £5.50 for each dish on offer. All traders taking part have chosen one of their specialty meals for guests to enjoy at a reduced rate exclusively for the Castle Square Street Party. Guests will be able to try: Coma Y Beba’s Sandwich Super Special, Daddy O’s Jollof Rice with fish or chicken, the choice of Curried Goat or Fried Chicken with rice from Original Caribbean Spice, Kaieteur Kitchen’s, Calipso Rice, BBQ Chicken and fried plantains and lastly, El Guambra, will be showcasing their Fritada, fried pork with fried corn grains, originally from Ecuador. Also joining in on the festivities, new cocktail bar Cherry Tiger will be offering the Pisco Sour as their special cocktail of the day, made up of Brandy distilled in Peru and Chile.

Not only will there be entertainment for your palates, but there will be a host of family-friendly entertainment throughout the day by Magician Paul Longhurst, fascinating guests with his magic tricks, along with face painters who will be in Castle Square to paint the faces of Jubilee revelers free of charge! A party is not a party without music, so there will also be well-known Colombian Jazz musician Roberto Pla performing throughout the day with his live jazz band, to help celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee at Castle Square.

Rounding off the fun-filled weekend, Elephant Park will be hosting a community street party with accompanying entertainments on Sunday 5th June. Join your friends and neighbours, and get to know your community better by sharing friendship, food and fun, over some lunch or an enjoyment of the live entertainment. Tables will be set up along Sayer Street for people to either bring their own food to enjoy, or take advantage of some of the many international flavours on offer from the local, independent restaurants and cafes of Elephant Park. There will be free arts & crafts activities, organised by Art in the Park, to take part in, inspired by Her Majesty’s enduring interest in gardening and plants, and Blue Elephant Theatre will be performing their latest play called ‘Ana and Silly’ by Elephant Springs at 1pm, 2pm and 3pm. ‘Ana and Silly’ is a short children’s play about a squirrel called Ana and her cousin Silly. It is suitable for all children from ages two upwards.

Across from Elephant Springs, Little Louie within Elephant Stores on Ash Avenue will be hosting a Camberwell Connection Hi Fi session from 1pm to 7pm. Camberwell Connection are Dubplate Pearl & Mr Swing Easy, connoisseurs of the finest in reggae soul and jazz all played on original vinyl. With a musical CV longer than your arm, Camberwell Connection bring the vibe wherever they play.

Elephant Park and Castle Square can be found less than a five-minute walk from Elephant & Castle rail stations and are both part of the Elephant & Castle partnership which is maximising the potential for the community from the regeneration of the area.