Banff's Local Hero 40th anniversary festival will celebrate community spirit
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Residents of Banff are planning a Local Hero festival to celebrate the classic Scottish movie’s 40th anniversary.
Banff has seen a steady decline of retailers in the past few years, so locals are hoping the festival could help breathe new life into the town centre.
Andrew Mellon is a local resident who is organising the festival and a well-known chef most recently known for up-cycling a section of plane into a kitchen.
He plans for it to bring the whole community together and attract superfans of Local Hero from around the world.
Scenes for the film were shot at Pennan and in The Ship Inn in Banff.
The Local Hero Festival will run for 21 days from May 7-27 and aims to unite businesses on the Banffshire coast.
It was launched during an event in Banff town centre on Saturday.
Local food and drink will play a major role in attracting visitors to the festival. Mr Mellon will set up a pop-up restaurant in his famous up-cycled kitchen – N/ine – offering an immersive dining experience including a six course Local Hero Tasting Menu and live entertainment.
Restaurants, bistros and cafés in the area will also offer Local Hero themed menus and there will be a Local Hero Farmers and Makers Market to place emphasis on locally made and sourced produce.
Banff shops will offer Local Hero discounts and well-known artist, Bryan Angus, has been commissioned to create the logo for the festival.
The festival will feature headline events related to the film. As well as a National Rabbit Pie Bake Off, organisers hope to recreate an immersive Northern Lights experience with a free public display.
There will also be a recreation of the ceilidh scene in the very location used in the film, and a portable interactive art installation of a series of red telephone boxes commissioned to appear at various locations on the Banffshire coast throughout the event.
The festival will be funded by private sponsorship, so it will be free for everyone to attend.
Festival planners have leased the old Royal Bank of Scotland building on Banff’s high street, and will use its 6000 sq ft to house a visitor centre, exhibition and small cinema with three screening rooms.
Organisers hope there will be enough money from revenues to donate to local charities and set up a permanent Local Hero exhibit at Banff Museum after the festival.
Andrew Mellon, Local Hero festival director, said: “It might soon be April Fool’s Day, but it's no joke that Local Hero is coming home.
"Planning a festival in five weeks is a real challenge, but we expect this to be the biggest and best celebration of the iconic movie.
"People can come to Banff and enjoy an amazing day out full of festivities, without needing to spend a penny.
"It's all about the community coming together – whether you want to relax to Mark Knofpler’s music, watch some live performances or go on a guided walking tour, there’s something for everyone."
Visit https://localherofestival.com for more information on the festival and to take part in a survey about the event.
