The Rock celebrated its first birthday in style on Saturday (16th) with a day of summer fashion showcases and live music and, despite the rain, footfall was up 25% on the shopping and entertainment destination’s typical Saturday peak-time visitor levels.

The event, which had a floral theme, kicked off with a parade of school children from St John with St Mark C of E Primary School in Bury. The kids carried hand-made flowers, which they had made prior to the event.

A rolling schedule of summer fashion showcases and live music then took place throughout the day to entertain the crowds. Retailers showcased their summer ranges and each catwalk show was accompanied by a unique high-wire performance above the main stage.

For the entertainment, The Rock teamed up with the Ramsbottom Festival to design the musical line up for the day and to give visitors a sneak preview of the bands scheduled to perform at the festival, which is launching its first event this September.  Performers included; Manchester-based singer songwriter, Ruby Ann Paterson and soulful duo Taylor & The Mason. The day culminated in a highly anticipated performance from popular Manchester band, Kid British – which drew quite a crowd (up 19% from usual Saturday footfall at this time).

The Rock also unveiled its unique ‘Living Dress’ on Saturday, which was on display on the main stage throughout the day and admired by passersby. The ‘Living’ dress has since been planted within St John’s Gardens and rooted to the ground to continue to grow as a living art installation within the scheme, throughout the summer. 

On the successful event, Nikki Kitchen, Marketing Manager for The Rock and Event Manager, commented: “We would like to thank everyone who came along to celebrate our first birthday on Saturday. The day was a great success and, despite the weather, there was a fantastic turn out.

“Since launch last year, we have had the local community at the heart of everything we do and have been a big supporter of local talent, so we are delighted to have been able to continue this with our first birthday celebrations. The people of Bury and the wider region have taken the scheme to their hearts and it has quickly become a key part of their daily routines. We are proud to have been able to put on a day of celebrations that the whole town can enjoy.”