Bosses of Norwich Lanes shops want to "let the people party" after being told that the area's popular annual fayre has been cancelled due to a potential football clash.
It is not the Canaries that are responsible though. Instead, it is the final of the men's Euros at 8pm on Sunday, July 14 the Norwich Lanes Association (NLA) has blamed., with England among the favourites to win the tournament.
The popular event traditionally takes place on the second day of the city’s Lord Mayor’s Weekend and attracted 25,000 visitors last year and brought an estimated £350,000 into the city's economy.
The event's cancellation has confused business owners in the Lanes though, who are unconvinced by the reasoning behind it.
Rachel Butcher, co-owner of clothes shop Main Source, said: "I find it baffling as to why you can't do the fayre from 11am to 6pm if the Euros start at 8pm.
"The event helps bring everyone together so it's sad, both from a community point of view and business perspective, because we now don't get that this year."
Chris Smith, whose shop Christophe's Crepes has been in the Lanes for four years, added: "It's the best day of the year for us and easily our busiest day.
"All the businesses here look forward to it and we'd already been talking about what we might do for the day.
"It's a party for all of us so we're all devastated it's not happening.
"I wonder whether we can appeal the decision or just do an event ourselves because we want to let the people party.
"We want to bring the community together and celebrate."
The NLA said it explored moving the fayre to a different weekend but couldn't reschedule due to the additional costs and prior commitments of staff.
Owners of L'Hexagone Francais Bistro, Thomas Aubrit and Gemma Aubrit-Layfield, were shocked to hear of its cancellation.
Thomas said: "The fayre attracts nice people to the Lanes.
"This year it would've fallen on Bastille Day, so the perfect occasion for us to open up - as we aren't usually open on a Sunday.
"We were going to lean into our French heritage, get some flags and invest in some other things, just to be told you can't do anything now.
"It's strange it's been cancelled due to the football because last year we were done by five o'clock."
Gemma added: "It's a real shame because we loved it last year and people were in good spirits.
"Everyone we spoke to said the fayre should happen more than once a year, so to go from having it more than once to nothing is really disappointing."
Karl Forder, manager of Pottergate Pantry, was hoping to celebrate the business' 40-year anniversary during the Lanes Fayre after a successful outing last year.
He said: "It was our first time open during the fayre last year and we made a lot of new customers.
"It's good to get exposure for the shops here and people who'd never been into our shop are now more or less regulars.
"So it's really beneficial to have the fayre on and we're hoping it can come back next year because everyone in the area is very disappointed about it being cancelled."
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Matteo Guidi, manager of the Drawing Rooms cocktail bar, added: "It's disappointing because it was a really good event for businesses.
"Last year we had people from outside of Norwich attending the fayre because they had heard it was such a big event.
"Surely with proper planning, something could have still gone ahead even if it started earlier because it's a shame."
Decision to cancel event "not taken lightly"
The NLA has doubled down on the issue of the Euro final impacting the Lanes Summer Fayre, even though there is no guarantee England will be in it.
A spokesman said: "The NLA are also very disappointed.
"As a team of volunteers, we've given over an awful lot of time over the years to build the fayre into the fantastic event that it's become.
"It was a decision we did not take lightly.
"The Norwich Lanes Summer Fayre is not just an extraordinary event, it also showcases this beautiful area and all that it has to offer, all year round.
"The fayre always takes place on the second day of Lord Mayor’s Weekend and we don’t get to say when that is.
"Unfortunately this year, that day coincides with the European Championship final.
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"One thing that the feedback has taught us, is that a lot of people are incredibly passionate about this event.
"We've therefore received a lot of offers to help in the future and have already lined up some meetings this week."
- Additional reporting by Georgia Sweet
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