Breathing new life into Folkestone Town Centre
Our project, ‘Folkestone – A Brighter Future’ is set to physically transform Folkestone Town Centre thanks to the council’s successful bid for £20m of the Levelling Up fund.
We’re not just aiming to improve the physical look of the area, work is also underway to bring vibrancy to the pedestrianised shopping areas of Sandgate Road and Guildhall Street.
To breathe new life into the town a small number of diverse pilot activities will take place in 2024 called Folke About Town. We want to test out what works best whilst celebrating the cultural richness and unique identity of the town. Our priority is to support local businesses by encouraging people to stay longer in the area and boosting footfall.
As part of these proposed activities, we are looking for local organisations to co-produce events with us. The hope is that these events are both successful and sustainable bringing vibrancy to the area for years to come.
Folke About Town
Folke About Town will bring energy into Folkestone town centre though a series of test events co-produced with local businesses. Check out the full schedule below:
Folkestone Food Festival
Folkestone's finest food, food tours, masterclasses and music...
Friday 2 August - Sunday 4 August from 11am
Find out full details, schedule, participating restaurants, music and more at Folkestone Fringe.
Skate, Cycle and Music day
Teenage market, music and demos...
Friday 6 September from 3pm
Art Market
Arts, crafts and teenage market...
Saturday 14 September - Sunday 15 September from 10am
Continental Food Market
Local and continental food and drink...
Thursday 19 September - Sunday 22 September from 10am
Folkestone Street Market
New look, new ideas and new vibes...
Saturday 24 August + Saturday 5 October from 10am
For more information about the Folke About Town series please visit folkestoneandhythe.co.uk
Want to get involved?
Fancy getting involved with the events yourself? We're trialling an art market, food market, flea market and a teenage market and we're looking for traders wanting to sell at these events.
We're looking for people who sell art, crafts, vintage and pre-loved clothes and furniture. If that's you and you fancy joining us on one of our market days please fill out our Folkestone Street Market survey indicating your interest.
Interested in volunteering or have any ideas to enhance the street market offer? Please email: Folkeabouttown@gmail.com
Views wanted
What do you think about the programme? Have you experienced one or more of the events? We want your feedback.
This summer is an opportunity to trial different events to work out which has broad enough appeal to attract a greater number of people to enjoy our town centre. Our aim is to encourage a programme of varied events - run independently of the council - which will grow and be sustainable into the future.
We are relying on your support to attend these events and give us honest feedback on what works, what doesn't and what you would like to see in the town centre.
Complete our short survey to share your views. Thanks in advance.