BEST PHOTO COMPETITION! 
WIN A £100 FOOD VOUCHER! Whoever takes the best photo at the festival tomorrow can be in for a chance to win! All you have to do is:
– Take your best photo of/at the festival!
– Tag us @northedinfest
– Use hashtag #NECF25
The winner will be announced here on 24/05! Best of luck to everyone entering! 
TOMORROW at 10.30am
REMINDER!!!
JOIN US FOR THE PARADE! 
The parade begins May 17th at 10:30am at North Edinburgh Childcare Centre (address on the flyer!) We want to see you all there, dress up, have fun! It’s time to party!! 
Remember one of our themes this year is 
RAINBOWS so get out your most colourful attire! We can’t wait to see you there 
As part of a project run by Imaginate, children involved in the new North Edinburgh Youth Arts Collective have been working with artist Bishop May Down on a new performance, Election which will premiere at the North Edinburgh Festival (Sat 17 May) ahead of its inclusion in the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival Family Day programme at the National Museum of Scotland (Sat 24 May).
Election is a short, humorous pop-up performance theatre piece about politics and power, seen from a young person’s point of view. The show imagines eleven-year-olds as political ‘bigwigs’ with the power to make real change, and offers audiences a child’s perspective on what is valuable in their world.
Election is part of Creative Encounters, a three-year project set up by Imaginate (who produce the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival), which explores what it means to put children’s rights at the heart of the creative process.
Bishop May Down, Artistic Director of Election said: “Initially, I was definitely surprised, in an amazing way, about how passionate, articulate and knowledgeable the young people involved are about political issues, and current world issues.
“I think they are at a really interesting age of being able to articulate their opinions and they are also just verging on being able to challenge other’s opinions.”
From autumn 2022 until summer 2025, young people from North Edinburgh have been working with artists and Imaginate staff to co-create new theatre and dance performances, giving a central role to children’s ideas, interests and voices.
Young people are involved as key decision makers from the beginning of the project and commission an artist to create a theatre or dance performance, and they are invited into the artists’ creative process to co-create performances.
Young people also take part in workshops on curation, content creation, photography journalism, speech writing, and decision making.
Here is a sneak preview of them in rehearsal on YouTube:
Election will be performed throughout the day at both North Edinburgh Community Festival (Sat 17 May @12-4pm) and the Children’s Festival Family Day (Sat 24 May @10am-5pm).
THE TATTIE PROJECT
The festival has teamed up with R2 and Lauriston Farm to bring you food demonstrations and free HOT tatties n toppings and Leek & Tattie Soup.
Many organisations in North Edinburgh have planted potatoes at Lauriston Farm over the last month or two. These tatties wont be ready for our festival but we have been extremely lucky to have received a very kind donation of tatties from Potato House/Skea Organics and Denhead Farm.
At the festival we will have 5-6 food demonstrations from cooks in our local community showcasing diverse cultural recipes using the humble potato as the main ingredient.
MasterChef Sarah Rankin Cooks, will be putting our cooks through their paces pre festival so that they are ready to take on the day at the festival.
Scran Academy will be providing hot baked potatoes from Denhead Farm with toppings courtesy of Asda and Empty Kitchens Full Hearts SCIO will be handing out free Leek and Potato soup using the potatoes from The Potato House.
Potato House is the baby potato of Skea Organics, and grew out of a need to service smaller orders for gardeners, allotment growers, market gardeners and independent gardening and hardware stores.
They also supply eating potatoes to shops, box schemes and restaurants as well as to the general public. The Potato House website is dedicated to the gardeners and small passionate growers who are looking for high-quality seed potatoes with unique taste and specific characteristics.
So many thanks to Potato House, Denhead Farm, Sarah Rankin for the potatoes.
Recipes from the cooks will also be available to view on The Love of Potatoes website too. The Love Potatoes website is dedicated to chefs and passionate home cooks looking for fantastic potato recipes using high-quality potatoes.
Post festival, the cooks will host lunch clubs showcasing their recipes again in the lead up to the Harvest Festival at Lauriston Farm in September.
On the day, we are looking to hand out over 1500 tattie dishes!
NORTH Edinburgh’s popular Community Festival is on the move – to leafy BARNTON!
The annual festival has proved a huge hit since it was established in 2022, but organisers believe the event has outgrown it’s West Pilton Park home and it’s time to move on to pastures new.
Community stalwart Willie Black explained: “North Edinburgh Community Festival has been hugely popular with the local community but realise that other communities like Barnton and Cramond are losing out.
“That’s just not fair – we want to be as inclusive as possible so the move to Barnton makes perfect sense. It’s a win-win.”
Local landowner and Barnton Community Association chairman Fitzroy Arbuckle-Brightly added: “William and I have been chums since we attended Glenalmond together and the idea to move the festival came about after a jolly lunch during our annual skiing trip to Val D’Isere this spring. The more fine wine we quaffed the more sense it all made!
“North Edinburgh Community Festival has been a victim of it’s own success and has outgrown it’s rather small venue in North Edinburgh. It deserves a far grander stage and that is why I suggested the move to my estate in Barnton.
“There will have to be a few changes, of course, including a croquet competition to replace all that noisy music and the introduction of an entrance fee in line with other major festival events, but we’ll announce all the details later. Much later. Don’t you worry your pretty little head about that.”
North Edinburgh Community Festival organisers were unavailable for comment, but it’s understood the re-homed festival will take place on 1st April next year.
**HALF OF THE FESTIVAL STALLS ARE ALREADY BOOKED**
We have 80 stalls available to book for the festival. Over half are already booked, so if you were planning on taking a stall, please register!
Pricing recap:
Charities, groups and local organisations (not selling anything and offer a service) – £80 (or £150 if you can afford it and want to support the festival).
Traders (if you are selling anything) – £100 (or£150 if you can afford it and want to support the festival).
Food Traders – £250 for a pitch. These need to be self contained units, price cap of all food is no more than £6, you must have all health, safety and hygiene certification, hand wash basin and generator.
To register follow this link – https://forms.office.com/r/kmEA0rXDnP
CRUDEN HOMES AND CITY COUNCIL SUPPORT NORTH EDINBURGH COMMUNITY FESTIVAL WITH £2,000 DONATION
The North Edinburgh Community Festival (NECF), one of the city’s most anticipated family-friendly events, has received a £2,000 donation from Cruden Homes and City of Edinburgh Council, to help deliver its biggest and most inclusive festival yet.
Taking place on Saturday, 17 May 2025, from 12:00pm to 5:30pm at West Pilton Park, the free event will feature a vibrant mix of activities, live music, workshops, food stalls, a community parade, sports, and opportunities for jobs, skills, and learning.
This generous donation will go directly towards the essential costs of hiring equipment and providing vital support for over 150 local charities, groups, and organisations leading community-focused stalls and initiatives at the event.
Cruden is building 143 energy efficient affordable homes at Silverlea on behalf of City of Edinburgh Council and this donation forms part of the range of community benefits that are being delivered here.
Adele Conn, Festival Director of the North Edinburgh Community Festival, said: “Many thanks to Cruden and the City of Edinburgh Council for their £2,000 donation, supporting the hiring of equipment and supporting local charities and organisations involved with the event.
“The 2025 festival is set to be one of the biggest and most inclusive festivals yet, and this donation will help us to continue to strengthen community bonds, pride, and unity in North Edinburgh.”
Michael Palethorpe, Production and Community Benefit Manager at Cruden, said: “The North Edinburgh Community Festival is a cornerstone of local culture, uniting the community through a vibrant celebration of music, dance, and food, alongside invaluable workshops focused on jobs, skills, and learning.
“As a company with deep roots in the area, Cruden is proud to be involved, alongside our partners at the City of Edinburgh Council, in supporting this enriching event that makes such a positive impact on the community.”
Jane Meagher, Leader of City of Edinburgh Council, said: “We’re delighted to see this important annual festival for north Edinburgh receiving support through our contractor who is building affordable homes for us as part of our £1.3bn regeneration of Granton Waterfront.
“Providing events such as these is so important to bring communities together to enjoy inclusive cultural activities and have lots of fun for residents of all ages to enjoy.”
The North Edinburgh Community Festival has become a key event in the local calendar, fostering a sense of pride and creating opportunities for families, residents, and organisations to come together in a fun, inclusive, and celebratory environment. The 2025 festival is set to showcase North Edinburgh’s talent, culture and community spirit, with a diverse and exciting programme that will highlight the very best of the area.
The North Edinburgh Community Festival is thrilled to announce that it has won the Creative Edinburgh Festival Award. This is a new category for 2024, which celebrates a festival’s outstanding contribution to Edinburgh’s vibrant cultural scene and its innovative approach to community engagement.
Festival Chair, Willie Black, and Festival Director, Adele Conn were joined on stage to accept the award by Jed Milroy from the Tinderbox Collective and Ryan McGlone from Granton Youth along with 6 young people who have volunteered at the festival since it started in 2022.
Jed and Ryan, play an integral part in the festival by encouraging participation through music, running both music stages and encouraging over 600 young people to participate in the festival.
Lennon Hutchison, youth volunteer, said “As someone who has volunteered at the festival for the last 3 years, I feel incredibly proud to be part of something so special.
“It was amazing to win this award and myself and my friends can’t wait for next years festival.”
“We are absolutely delighted to receive this award,” said Festival Director Adele Conn. “It’s a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team, and we are grateful to the community for their unwavering support.
“This recognition motivates us to continue creating a meaningful and inclusive festival that bring people together and acts as a year round catalyst for collaboration and change in North Edinburgh.”
The North Edinburgh Community Festival, held annually in May in West Pilton Park and the West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre, aims to benefit North Edinburgh communities by promoting pathways into employment, training, and recreation opportunities, addressing endemic challenges in the areas such as worklessness, low education attainment, and social isolation by providing a fun, free, family day out for new and existing residents to enjoy – promoting opportunities, creativity, enhancing community cohesion, reducing social isolation and celebrating the diversity of the area.
This year the festival had over 10,000 local people attend, 150 charities, organisations and groups; over 600 young people participating in music activities, and we provided over 3000 free hot meals on the day.
The award was presented at the Creative Edinburgh Awards ceremony last week, which honours the best in Edinburgh’s creative community, highlighting the projects, people and places that flourish across Edinburgh and continually ensuring its place on the cultural map, nationally and internationally.
Winning this award highlights the festival’s role in its commitment to North Edinburgh and helping this community to thrive. The festival has imbedded itself within the community and has a vital role to play.
The strength of the Festival lies in its collaborative working model – with involvement from residents, artists, the local third sector and public sector bodies.
The diverse population of North Edinburgh includes families, individuals, young people, and children, all of whom stand to benefit from the festival’s offerings. By hosting a range of recreational, cultural, educational, leisure, and social activities, the festival aims to create opportunities for community engagement and personal development.
The festival also proudly celebrates cultural diversity and serves as a vibrant tapestry of the many ethnic minorities residing in North Edinburgh. Recognising the unique challenges faced by these communities, it is even more important to provide resources and support services tailored to the needs of these communities.
Willie Black, says: “As the Chair of the North Edinburgh Community Festival, I am thrilled and honoured that we have won the award for Best Festival in Edinburgh.
“This recognition is a testament to the vibrant spirit and hard work of our community. It highlights the incredible talent and dedication within North Edinburgh and showcases our ability to bring people together through cultural celebration.
“Winning this award means a great deal to our city and particularly to the community of North Edinburgh. It underscores the importance of cultural festivals in fostering community pride, cultural exchange, and economic development.
“However, it also reminds us of the crucial need for financial support to sustain these valuable events. Continued funding is essential to ensure that festivals like ours can thrive, grow, and continue to enrich the lives of everyone involved.”
Regarding the Festival’s future, our vision for the next five years is both ambitious and transformative. We aim to expand the reach and impact of the North Edinburgh Community Festival, making it an annual highlight that continues to bring joy, education, and support to our community.
We plan to increase our engagement with local schools and youth groups, offering more workshops and programmes tailored to the needs and interests of young people.
In addition, we aspire to create more year-round initiatives that address socio-economic challenges, such as community art projects, and job training sessions. We’re committed to fostering inclusivity and cultural exchange, ensuring that all residents, feel valued and supported.
We also aim to strengthen our partnerships with local organisations, businesses, and volunteers, to drive home positive change. Our goal is to make North Edinburgh a thriving, vibrant community where everyone has the opportunity to grow, learn, and succeed.
As a community festival, we rely heavily on funding. However, we remain optimistic that this award will help to raise awareness of the festival’s importance and the community’s desire for it.
We are hopeful that it will attract the financial support needed to sustain and grow the event.
Next year’s festival will be held on Saturday 17th May from 12 noon – 530pm.
Ecstatic !! WE WON!!!
On Friday night we won in the @creativeedinburgh BEST FESTIVAL category.
Our Chair, Willie Black, Festival Director Adele Conn, along with young people from @grantonyouthinsta and Ryan McGlone and young people from @_tinderbox and Jed Milroy and Lucy attended the award ceremony at Central Hall.
We are all immensely proud of the festival and want to thank each and every one of you who have participated in the festival or have visited the festival over the last 3 years. We couldn’t have won without you 
Here’s to 2025 and a bigger, better, more diverse and inclusive festival!
I was delighted to join my friends from Edinburgh International Book Festival’s Citizen Writers group at North Edinburgh Community Festival at West Pilton Park on Saturday, and the sun split the skies once again – that’s the third year on the trot!
Congratulations to the organisers and the entertainers who made it such a special day, and also a big thanks to the young festivalgoers who took part in our Citizen Big Board Game!
Looking forward to next year already!
There are lots more pictures on the North Edinburgh News Facebook page
