Kendal’s residents and visitors will have the chance to play a part in the town’s biggest and most unusual wedding of the year during the popular street Mintfest international street arts festival.

This year’s Mintfest takes place from Thursday 2nd September until Sunday 5th September, and is the climax to the Lakes Alive season of events in Cumbria. 

Big Rory and his pregnant girlfriend Gorgeous Morag are getting hitched, and everyone is invited.  As well as the wedding, the pair will also be having their hen and stag dos in town pubs, and a pre–wedding shopping trip to the recently reopened K Village.

The happy couple will, as always, be accompanied by Big Rory’s over friendly dog Ochie, a hound with somewhat dubious habits.

Big Rory says: "Big Rory and Gorgeous Morag are awfully excited about getting hitched in Kendal at Mintfest! Morag is quite far gone and the baby is due on the 6th so we should just be able to squeeze the wedding in first! Looking forward to seeing you all at the wedding".

Julie Tait, director of Kendal Arts International which stages Lakes Alive, says:”Big Rory is one of the most popular acts from the last two Mintfests, and the wedding will certainly be an event to remember, with the saga unfolding over three days, from the stag and hen dos to the service and reception. It will be the talk of the town, so if you only go to one wedding this year, make sure it’s this one!”

The wedding action begins on the Friday night, as the hen and stag dos take to the town at Kendal’s Globe and Olde Fleece Inns.  Everyone is invited to come and join one of the two parties.  There will also be additional entertainment laid on at both pubs to help the happy couple celebrate their last hours of freedom. 

A spot of last minute wedding shopping takes place on Saturday, including a visit to the recently reopened K Village.  As Big Rory and Gorgeous Morag are both pretty disorganised their last minute shopping is likely to include buying everything, including the wedding dress and the wedding ring, not to mention all the pots and pans for their new home.

K Village – The Lakes Outlet is also the principal commercial sponsor for this year’s Mintfest.  Mandy Dixon from K Village says:

“We’re looking forward to welcoming Big Rory, Gorgeous Morag and Ochie to K Village.  I’m sure the trio will be a big hit with our shoppers and I’m confident they’ll find plenty of the things they need to help them celebrate their big day and to get them ready for married life.”

That evening Rory and Morag host their own irreverent version of cult game show Mr and Mrs at the Brewery’s Garden Stage from 7.30-8.00 pm.

Sunday is the big day itself, with the people being asked to gather at Abbot Hall Park at 4.15pm from where they will make their way to the wedding. The (un)holy union is unlikely to go ahead without a hitch or two.

The happy couple will then make their way to the reception at Kendal Town Hall at 8pm.  The event will also be the end of festival party for Mintfest.  Tickets will cost £8 (£6 concessions) and are available from the Brewery Box Office.  Wedding guests will be able to enjoy a Scottish buffet, including a wedding cake, laid on by Lucy’s of Ambleside.

This year’s Mintfest is bigger and better than ever before, running across four days and taking over the whole town throughout the weekend rather than just on the Saturday. Performers will be arriving from all over the world to take part.

Lakes Alive is one of three annual programmes commissioned for WE PLAY, the Northwest cultural legacy programme for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.  WE PLAY is funded by Legacy Trust UK, an independent charity set up to help build a lasting cultural and sporting legacy from the 2012 Olympic Games. The project is led by the Arts Council England Northwest on behalf of a new regional partnership. Lakes Alive is sponsored by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and has also received funding from Arts Council England and the Northern Rock Foundation.    

For more information about the full Mintfest programme and other Lakes Alive events please see www.lakesalive.org