A COMMUNITY group is devastated after thieves and vandals stole or destroyed handmade decorations for the city’s Piña Colada Festival.
Since its first event in 2021, the tropical-themed festival has become one of Northwich’s most popular events, attracting hundreds of people to the town centre.
One organisation that has taken on the festival is the Toppers Of Northwich, a community yarn bombing group whose members have spent the last three years building their decoration display to beautify the town.
But to their horror, after the final day of the festival on Saturday 17 August, the group was heartbroken to discover that more than half of their knitting and crochet items on display had been destroyed, damaged or stolen.
Katie Naylor Brown founded the group and saw it grow from just 10 to over a hundred members.
She said: “Unfortunately, overnight most of the knitted and crocheted piña colada decorations were stolen, set on fire or damaged.
Some of the decorations in the run-up to the Piña Colada Festival (Image: provided)
“The mailbox top in front of Rymans has disappeared, as have most of the bollard covers.
“Saturday was such a great day, but for our church group it was a heartbreaking day.
“We were devastated to discover that over half of the exhibits had disappeared or been destroyed.
“We have been building the display for the last three years and the time and cost of replacing it is unimaginable.
Decorations for the Piña Colada Festival were damaged or stolen (Image: provided)
“We thought we would celebrate (at today’s meeting), but instead I have to tell members that their months of hard work have been in vain.
“I feel physically sick because I have to do this.
“We always experience vandalism, but what happened on Saturday night was the complete destruction of our work. I just don’t know how we’re going to come back from this.”
“We are a self-funded group, we don’t have a ton of money to replace the labor.”
Items missing or destroyed include a 10ft crocheted palm tree that was part of the display outside Goblin Coffee & Beer in Witton Walk and was made by Katie herself.
She has put out a call to anyone who owns any of the intact decorations to return them or to help the group replace the lost items by donating on their fundraising page.
One of the decorations had been set on fire (Image: provided)
She added: “Even the 10-foot crocheted palm tree was stolen from our exhibition in front of Goblin.
I’m just devastated as I made this piece myself. If anyone has it, can they please donate it.
“If anyone would like to donate to our Go Fund Me so we can replace this that would be a huge help.
“Toppers Of Northwich loved decorating the town for the Piña Colada Festival but we will have to think of something else for next year.
“Everything we make is stored for the following year. If anyone has or finds any decorations, please give them back to the group.
“We are also doing a special Christmas exhibition with vulnerable people from our community. They will see this and wonder if this will happen in their work too.”
Decorations on bollards in Northwich (Image: provided)
“We are all just devastated.”
Toppers Of Northwich meets twice a week, on Mondays from 7pm-9pm at The Very Green Grocery on Manchester Road and on Thursdays from 1pm-4pm at Shurlach Methodist Church in Rudheath.
If anyone finds any of the stolen works, please contact Katie at [email protected].
Donated yarn can be dropped off at The Very Green Grocery or Shurlach Methodist Church.
