My I just congratulate the organisers of Mayfest this year.
Just got back from a great day out.
The sun was shining and everyone was having a great time.
Plenty to do and see and all for just 4 quid.
Hope its as good next year.

We thought that it was a bit disappointing really. £4 was far too much.

Went yesterday,lovely weather:( ,didnt think £4 was too bad to get in,but it seems to me once in the ride operators,burger vans ect can charge what they like,£2.50 for a 5min kiddys ride:loopy:
£3 for a burger,daylight robbery if you ask me.

Yes it was a little on the expensive side 2.50 for a ride on the dodgems..

I went both days... I was working there, doing "outreach" work for the charity I work for.

I thought that there was not a huge amount of attractions beyond the fair. it was just like the fargate crafts market up at the top end.

I agree with tony about the entrance charges, a bit steep to have to pay again for certain attractions like the rides. and a bit discouraging:- if you are a family, particularly a large family, how are you going to afford prices like those to get everyone in?

i also thought that the food and drinks prices were a rip off (we were something of a captive market, really, weren't we?)

what i was really disappointed with, was yesterday's weather.

Typical British bank holiday weather... Chucking it down, and rotten cold. we were soaked through, and frozen stiff by the end of the day. which was not pleasant at all.

Today was still cool, but by comparison with yesterday, it was a lot better (Not to mention drier!!!!!)

still, now that the Sheffield Show is no more, it is nice to have a municipally organised festival, which folk can attend.

PT

While i think the mayfest is a good idea,im not sure if we will go next year,simply because how expensive everything is,like plaintalker said once your in your a captive audience,
me,my partner and our eight year old daughter went through the best part of £50 in four hours yesterday,(and i only had one pint:( ),i mean £50 for an afternoons "entertainment" is a hell of alot.
Having said all that its not easy driving past every day with said eight year old seeing all the signs and looking forward to it for weeks.

yes I think it was expensive, but generally a good Idea. sopmetimes things like these cater for the lowerst common demominator, (i could have done without the banging music!) but some of the shows like the birds of prey and rangers were wonderfull.
I think the fest doesnt really know what it wants to be yet...personally I would have enjoyed more of the environment,etc part of it all rather than the noise but you have to balance everything.

where was the brass band?
gawd I am so old fashioned...

well, according to the radio this morning, over 35,000 people passed thru the gates of the event yesterday!
As i understand it, the child entry was £2?

So, if we estimate one adult to every child entry fee, that means that their coffers were swelled by....

£68,000 in adult entrance fees,
and £34,000 in child entrance fees
which totals £102,000 in entry fees alone, just on that one day!

And when we factor in the small fortune that would have been spent on food/drink and rides and stuff, then man alive ! that was one money spinner of an event !

Good Gravy!

PT

won`t go as i don`t know how they can make you pay to go into a public park.

I go to graves park for the free with the other festival`s but i refuse to pay when everything else inside costs so much.

Not exactly family friendly for those that don`t earn much.

Originally posted by rosie
won`t go as i don`t know how they can make you pay to go into a public park.
(snipped)
Not exactly family friendly for those that don`t earn much.

I said exactly the same thing to my colleagues over the weekend.

I agree that it is wrong to take over a public park and prevent the public from coming in without handing over extortionate amounts of cash... (dick turpin could have taken lessons)

On the other hand, where else is there a public space large enough to hold an event like this...?

The don valley bowl perhaps? But that too is a public park.... catch 22....

what do we do?

PT

I thought it was a good laugh £4 is nothing you tight gits. Go out in town and you pay as much as £25 to get into some places.

Things were expensive but what do you expect at an event like this? All that stuff there cost money to make it happen and without charging they won't make any profit, what's the point in that?

The day was lovely loads of people loads of ladies in skirts:D And lots of stuff to do. Was a nice day out the kids enjoyed it:)

it`s ok you going on about £4 is nothing, quite right when it`s just you, but i have kids and eventhough they are still at school they are over 14 and so i have to pay adult rate

I don`t think that is quite right in itself, but then at the ages they are it would be £100 for them all to stay for 4 hours with stuff to eat and stuff to go on, why would I want to pay that if I don`t have it.

I am not tight but i don`t believe it`s worth the money, i would rather go for a picnic and play family games costs much less and we enjoy ourselves.

The royal armouries costs less for families and that`s what I have to think of.
If you can afford it fine but just because people can`t it does not make them tight it`s being real.

I too went aolng to the festival and found it to be excellent value for money,
I am looking forward to the next one being even bigger.

Originally posted by Plain Talker
then man alive ! that was one money spinner of an event !
Ah yes... but that's only based on the income... The costs for something like this are pretty phenominal and when you've factored in the huge risk of running an event like this which can, as has happened in the past, result in a complete cancellation then it's not quite so wonderful looking a prospect as you might first think...

All of that has to be factored in when planning an event and calculating the costs, etc... and I do know what I'm talking about here... I had a very interesting but incredibly bad experience.. Weather was not a friend that year :(

I may be a bit biased but I think Devonshire Jam was much better.

Well I didn't go! i was boycotting the stupid piece of plagurism!

They nicked the name from the Kelham Island Mayfest which has been going for years, a folk day out with concerts etc. Not only did that have to change it's name to 'Bringing in the May', but the 'Mayfest' didn't even have it on Mayday, which is the point of a 'mayfest'. Stupid thing.

I bet it was one of those awful things with tacky superglued together fairground rides and scabby teenagers.

Well I'm SORRY. :x :x :x