This weekend, a mischievous tradition will make its way across the pond to downtown Raleigh’s Fayetteville Street.
The Oxford, a restaurant that serves primarily British cuisine, is gearing up to host Guy Fawkes Night on Saturday. The event will celebrate the infamous Guy Fawkes, an English man arrested in 1605 while guarding explosives he intended to detonate underneath the House of Lords.
Guy Fawkes Night will feature live music from local bands such as The Old Ceremony and Jack the Radio, as well as bonfires and fire performers. Fayetteville Street will be closed off for the night, allowing the celebration to spill outside.
Event coordinator Dustin Slemp said the event was devised as a way to celebrate The Oxford’s English roots, as Guy Fawkes Night is traditionally observed in Great Britain.
“The Oxford is a British gastropub, so we wanted to do something that tied in with it, but still do something fun and outside,” Slemp said. “It just seemed like it worked really well and we wanted to celebrate some more of the British aspect of the restaurant.”
The Guy Fawkes Night celebration, which is in its third year, will boast a large fire statue modeled after the face of Guy Fawkes.
“The first year we threw it we were planning on having a big fire statue, and things kind of faltered and we ended up having a smaller one,” Slemp said.
“So the second year we grew and made this huge fire statue that is molded in the face of the Guy Fawkes mask and it shoots out fire all night long.”
Weston Hill, one of The Oxford’s managers, said the fire statue will be one of the event’s main attractions.
“This year our fire is going to be larger than it was last year. We’re going to have a more consistent flame. It’s going to really, really light up the street,” Hill said.
Slemp also said the Chapel Hill-based food truck Baguettaboutit will be on hand providing food.
George Hage of Jack the Radio said he is eager to be a part of such a unique event.
“The Guy Fawkes concept is not something I’ve celebrated personally before, and I’m not sure if I know anyone that has,” Hage said. “But it does seem like it has gone from a serious British historical event into a fun, celebratory excuse to get people together and have some bonfires and enjoy an evening.”
Slemp said he thinks the presence of local bands is one of the more attractive aspects of the event.
“We’re really excited to be able to support all the local music here,” Slemp said.
This year, the Guy Fawkes Night event has partnered with the nonprofit Raleigh City Farm, which starts urban farms in the city.
“Part of the proceeds we raise that night from the sale of the Guy Fawkes masks — and we sell sparklers and stuff like that — will go directly to them,” Slemp said.
Hage said he is happy to see another event coming into its own in downtown Raleigh.
“I’m always excited about big events put on downtown, especially on Fayetteville Street,” Hage said. “It always seems to be a spot that brings a lot of people out in Raleigh.”
Slemp said the event’s incorporation of fire will set it apart from other downtown Raleigh occasions.
“There are a lot of music festivals that go on in Raleigh, but this one is really cool because it does have the bonfire aspect of it.,” he said.
“We have this huge fire statue, we have fire performers, we have sparklers and stuff like that for kids. It really creates a cool ambience outside.”
Contact the desk editor at diversions@dailytarheel.com.
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