BONFIRE Night will go with a bang in Sticklepath, for all those attending the annual Sticklepath Fireshow, which this year promises to be extra cool.
The village of Sticklepath has for the last 20 years put on a fireshow every November 5, which has grown to become one of the largest annual community arts events in the South West.
The fireshow is a true community event, involving at the very least 200 villagers and people from the surrounding area.
Up to 3,000 visitors descend on Sticklepath to enjoy a feast of music, drama, larger-than-life masks and a stunning firework display.
Maintaining the Bonfire Night tradition, Guy always goes up in flames when the carefully built and lovingly painted stage is set alight by one lucky crew member.
Every year, a new theme is chosen and to build up the excitement it is kept a secret until the day, all organisers will say is that this year the heat of the flames will provide an interesting contrast to the ice cold storyline.
Every spring, the organising team get together, scratch their heads and wonder what they can do to make that year's fireshow even better than before.
Fireshow secretary Fiona Hitchcock, said: 'What follows is a gentle curve of planning that come September builds into a crescendo of wood-collecting, puppet and mask-making, set-building and painting, rehearsing and all the many behind the scenes activities that go into making the show a safe and far more enjoyable alternative to back garden rockets and sparklers.'
Fiona said the fireshow was very much a community event, with people of all ages getting involved and having great fun.
If you would like to be one of those people helping to make the fireshow happen, contact Fiona on 01837 840602.
The fireshow takes place at the Finch Foundry Field, on Wednesday, November 5, gates open at 6pm, with the show beginning at 7.30pm.
Please arrive in good time to secure free parking and follow the marshals' directions. There is also parking for the disabled.
Alternatively, there is a free bus service departing from More newsagents, Fore Street, Okehampton and Giblands bus stop at 6.15pm and every 15 minutes. A return shuttle service is also available after the event.
Spectators are reminded that for safety reasons alcohol and fireworks — including sparklers — are not allowed on the fireshow field, and are advised to wear bright colours for road safety purposes when entering and leaving the site.
The Sticklepath Fireshow is a not-for-profit organisation which has now applied for registered charity status to be able to benefit from the Gift Aid Scheme — which allows charities to claim tax back from entry fees — helping to ensure the fireshow continues in the future.