For a city like Winchester, with its grand cathedral and centuries of history connected to the Church of England, it's sometimes easy to overlook the fact that the Christian Church is still alive and kicking - and never more so than during the summer. Once again churches across the city have joined forces to put on The Feast - a festival that celebrates Christianity in the city and a chance for local churches to reach out to local people. The festival is now in its second year and is an innovative collaboration between many of the City's churches. Chris Kilby is one of the organisers of the festival and is thrilled at the prospect of connecting with 1000's of local people.
 | | Look out for some alarming t-shirts... |
"This is such an exciting time for us as churches in this beautiful city", said Chris. "The message that we have hasn't changed over the years, but we are able to share that message in all sorts of ways, and it is astounding to think that so many Christians from churches in the city want to be involved." The Festival begins with a tasty BBQ in the Cathedral grounds, provided courtesy of the On The Move team, who - believe it or not - travel the world handing out free hamburgers whilst spreading the Christian message. The Festival splits its loyalties between the generations later in the week with a traditional Songs of Praise style service, and the first stage of a Battle of the Bands competition. And then there's the Hit Squad. The Church has assembled a crack team of DIY enthusiasts (aka The Hit Squad) who will be roaming the city putting their practical skills to good use. They'll be cleaning, gardening decorating and generally helping people with just about anything that they might struggle with or are unable to do themselves. Now you don't find that at many festivals. The weekend at River Park is the highlight of the festival with two days of family entertainment, including music and cabaret on the main stage plus plenty of bouncy castles to keep the kids happy - and of course more free hamburgers. There's also the climax of the Battle of the Bands competition plus a set from Coventry based jazz funksters Dweeb. "This event is a gift form the church to the city", said organiser Chris Kilby. "And we are inviting everyone to join us, so look out for your personal invitation, or come along and join the fun anyway – all are welcome, and we know that this event will feed you, both physically and spiritually!’ The Feast - Dates: Wednesday 7th June - Free BBQ Cathedral GroundsFriday 9th June - Battle of the Bands / Songs of PraiseSaturday 10th June - Family Day in River Park + Battle of the Bands finaleSunday 11th June -Celebration Service in River Park | 
