Over 15,000 people turned out to attend the 11th annual Leeds Waterfront Festival in June, hosted at Leeds Dock. Central to the festivities were the Dragon Boat Races, in which 18 teams competed for the title to become Radio Aire Leeds Dock Dragon Boat Champion 2018. Team Konnect, who completed the course in just 52 seconds, were crowned champion for the third year running. It was a close race with less than 0.5 seconds between the winners and the runner up, Primal Gym, a leading gym based at the Dock.
The festival also saw the return of the British Street Food awards, northern finals. The 20 finalists cooked up a feast in an attempt to impress the judges and showcased a wide-range of culinary delights, including Bao, poutine, and a good ‘ole’ fashioned pies. Doh’hut, a provider of traditional, fresh, handmade, artisan donuts scooped the coveted Judges Award. Meanwhile, the People’s Choice went to Ruby’s Street Kitchen, a leading vendor for Mumbai street food. Both winners will attend the final in London.
Speaking of the event, Alex Webb, Associate Events Director at Leeds Dock said: “This year’s Waterfront Festival was the best yet. The water was used as a focal point for all events and there really was something for everyone. What made this year’s festival so special was the introduction of additional events, including the dog show and a strongest human competition, these really got the crowds excited and created a sense of community at the Dock. To top it off, we had the best weather of the year so far and kids could enjoy activities put on by our neighbour, The Royal Armouries, making it the perfect family day out.”
This year’s Waterfront Festival at Leeds Dock also saw the inaugural ‘Close to the Bone’ Dog Show and Leeds’ Strongest Human – a new event which tasked entrants to test their strength via a series of interactive challenges, including an American truck pull!
Allied London’s Leeds Dock is a creative digital community on the Southbank of Leeds, with a lively events and social programme for occupiers and residents of the city. The Waterfront Festival will return in 2019 for even more fun and festivities. For more information about Leeds Dock, visit the website: www.leedsdock.com or follow us @LeedsDock.