Preparations made for Le Petit Viaer Marchi

An exciting re-imagining of the annual event that is usually held on the first Monday of July, has festivities spread across this Saturday and Sunday.

It will be set in the courtyard at The Folk and Costume Museum in Saumarez Park where the original Viaer Marchi was held in 1970.

National Trust of Guernsey vice-president Sara Lampitt said the re-imagining of the event was due to the uncertainties surrounding Covid-19, and the island's borders reopening earlier this month.

The idea was the event would span across two days, in a location with a smaller capacity to reduce risks with Covid.

‘It’s an unprecedented time, we had never really imagined scaling it back before, but we took the valuable advice from Public Health and have got creative with the space,’ she said, adding that although the event will be different this year, it will still be full of entertainment, food stalls with traditional island food, heritage craft demonstrations and attractive artisan stalls.

She said the event would not be possible without the hard-working volunteers.

‘All the teamwork has been fantastic, we’ve put in a lot of effort to make sure everyone can enjoy the island’s traditions, which would disappear without events like these highlighting our beautiful heritage.’

She added that the feedback from locals has been overwhelming.

‘Hearing how supportive the island has been, and how everyone is looking forward to Le Petit Viaer Marchi is so rewarding.’

The organisers are encouraging the use of physical cash at the event and hope islanders will bring along their own bags to reduce waste.

The event is sponsored by Islands’ Insurance and Guernsey Dairy with corporate volunteer help from C5 Alliance.

Entrance is free for children under 15, and tickets are £3 per adult, with parking available at Home Farm field.

Both days are running from 11am until 5pm, and detailed schedules are listed are listed at www.nationaltrust.gg.