Speaking at Beeston Community Forum last night (6 February) Stewart Robinson from International Fun Fairs said it was possible that 2014 would be the last Valentine’s Fair at Elland Road.
The fair started 21 years ago in the city centre and proved so popular that it quickly outgrew the streets around The Headrow with more and bigger rides. It moved to the car parks on Elland Road and has become one of the biggest fairs in Yorkshire, attracting visitors from across the country.
The development of the sites around Elland Road – the Park and Ride scheme under construction, the planned Ice Rink and even the Police headquarters across the road have squeezed the land available to the fair.
“I’d love to think it would continue on Elland Road” said Mr Robinson “We’d love to stay and work around the park and Ride with help from Leeds City Council and Leeds United.”
No other suitable sites have been identified to date and it is unlikely that the fair would return to the city centre. One possibility is that the fair may have to be a little smaller in future years, or that land between the stadium and the motorway (the former BRS site) could be used.
Mr Robinson stressed that management of the fair should stop it causing any problems for local people. He assured the meeting that noise levels were carefully monitored, local streets would be coned to stop on-street parking and litter would collected along Elland Road every morning of the fair.
With changes to the football schedule there have been some minor adjustments to the opening times and the fireworks display has been moved to Valentine’s Day itself, Friday 14 February:
Opening Times for the fair are:
- Thursday 13 February: 5-10:30pm
- Friday 14 February : 5-10:30pm (Fireworks at 8.15pm)
- Saturday 15 February: 1-10:30pm
- Sunday 16 February: 1-10pm
- Monday 17 February 1-10:30pm
- Tuesday 18 February 1-10:30pm
- Wednesday 19 February 1-10:30pm
- Thursday 20 February 1-10:30pm
- Friday 21 February 1-10:30pm
- Saturday 22 February 1-10:30pm
- Sunday 23 February 1-10:00pm
Money off vouchers have been distributed to all schools and are available to download from the website at: www.leedsvalentinesfair.co.uk/vouchers.
