Thousands gather to welcome spectacular dragon to Wakefield
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
Thousands of people turned out over the Bank Holiday weekend to welcome a spectacular giant dragon puppet as she explored Wakefield city centre.
“We’ve had an incredible weekend as The Hatchling explored our city. It was wonderful to see the warm welcome she received from thousands of people, as well as the enjoyment of all the different community groups who got involved.
“The event at Pugneys would have been an amazing way to say farewell. And we’re so sorry this couldn’t happen due to the weather conditions. But we’re proud to have brought something very special to Wakefield, that our city and district will always remember.”
Cllr Michelle Collins
Cabinet Member at Wakefield Council
The dragon itself was brought to life by a team of 36 puppeteers and 18 kite fliers, including artists and creatives from Wakefield and West Yorkshire and world champions in kite sport. The performance also included 350 local people with an array of talents, showcasing the best of local creativity within our communities.
Angie Bual, Creative Director of Trigger added: "We want to thank the people of Wakefield for their response to The Hatchling across the two days of the city-wide activity. The dragon is all about bringing people together and the collaboration and hard work from everyone involved has been unmatched.
“We are hugely disappointed that you weren't able to see her fly, but we hope that she will continue to be a lasting memory for the city."
The Hatchling was brought to the city as part of Our Year – Wakefield District 2024, a 366-day programme of cultural and creative activities to celebrate the district.
Find out more at https://experiencewakefield.co.uk/our-year-2024/
