Chester's Midsummer Watch Parade

Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 June

Chester's Midsummer Watch Parade returns,  starting from Town Hall square at 2pm. 

The medieval parade is one of the country's oldest and most colourful street parades dating from 1498. The Summer Watch was originally performed by the City Guilds at Midsummer. It was disbanded in the 1670's before being revived in 1989, featuring the Chester family of giants. The Midsummer Watch 'Family of Giants' the father, mother and two daughters are towering four metre figures.

The parade is led by the City Guilds and Chester's Karamba Samba Band, with dragons, angels, pirates, the Chester ravens, unicorn, stag, hobby horses, St Werburgh (and her geese), green men, Balaam's Ass, Cernunnus the Celtic lord of the forest, and a devil Band.

Later additions to the parade include an antelope in 2019 discovered following research in the archives from 1660 as being part of the parade joining The Hippogriff from Greek Mythology.

For more information about the Midsummer Watch. 

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