In the same week that Andover’s Carnival has been cancelled, one festival will be going ahead with a virtual event this weekend.

A-Fest, which celebrates all things youth in Andover, is taking place this Saturday, with a variety of musicians, clubs and businesses lined up to show just what the town has to offer for our young people.

“We are delighted to have so many organisations returning, and it is wonderful to have so many new clubs joining us this year,” said Katherine Bird, one of the organisers. “It is always brilliant to see so many different groups with things to offer young people in and around Andover.”

A-Fest was launched in 2015, and since then has showcased a range of opportunities for five to 18-year-olds in and around Andover.

Normally, it is a flagship event on the high street, drawing in crowds of young people and their families to find out more from the organisations and youth groups of the area.

In 2020, following the pandemic, the event was first postponed, and then put online, after the outbreak of Covid-19. A variety of music, demonstrations, organisations, and businesses were shown online, with a mix of live streaming and pre-recorded films, with last year’s organising team of Katherine, Cat Randle and Dmitrijs Meiksans MYP back for 2021’s event.

“Last year, over 500 people tuned in on the day, and the video of the event is now available on Chat Together’s YouTube channel” said Cat Randle, co-organiser. “Since September, the numbers of views have steadily grown to almost 750.”

The event will be hosted from Andover Baptist Church’s broadcast studio, with a practice taking place earlier this week.

There is a packed schedule of events following all the booking slots being snapped up. Following its introduction, Andover-based musician Lani Clayton takes to the virtual stage first, followed by organisations such as the Guides, Andover Rocks and others, before The Artroom brings things to a close.

“We are so excited to be able to bring everyone A-Fest again this year,” said Dmitrijs. “We are thankful to Andover Baptist Church for letting us run the event from their broadcast studio."

In September, the organisers hope that A-Fest’s physical presence will return to the high street, providing it is safe and legal to do so.

A-Fest is taking place this Saturday, May 22, from 11am to 3pm. It will be broadcast live on YouTube here: http://www.tinyurl.com/A-Fest2021, and the full schedule can be found here: https://afestandover.co.uk/event-schedule