Thousands of people are expected to descend on Accrington this weekend for the annual Food and Drink Festival.
Celebrity chefs, war re-enactments, a Spitfire and a Rio Olympics cycling challenge are just some of the attractions at the event which will bring flavours from across the world into the heart of the town.
More than 10,000 people attended last year’s festival and organisers are expecting this year to be ‘bigger and better’ with good weather forecast for the weekend.
The free festival will feature more than 75 stalls of the finest food and drink from France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Mexico, Malaysia, Nigeria, India and beyond. Live cookery demonstations will be given on Broadway by celebrity chef Richard Fox and local chefs from the North Lancs Training Group and The Whitakers Arms.
Murray Dawson, of organisers Scott Dawson Advertising, said: “I’m an Accrington lad myself and keen for the food and drink festival to be a huge success, as part of our civic pride initiative.
“We’ve been working hard to top last year’s very successful event, bringing together a food market full of flavour for festival visitors.
“Accrington’s 2015 food festival attracted over 10,000 people into the town centre. This year’s event is set to be even bigger and better, and with good weather forecast for the weekend we’re sure plenty of people from across Lancashire will come and join the fun.”
Young visitors to the festival will be able to get creative in the Cakelicious children’s cake decorating competition in Accrington Market Hall. The ‘bugs’ theme vent will be run by tutors and students from the new Roots Restaurant at Accrington & Rossendale College.
Children can also get involved in the Dig For Victory seedling planting activity with Incredible Edibles and the Sandy Lane Gardening Group.
A live WW2 re-enactment will take place again this year in the grounds of St James’ church at 1pm.
There will also be the chance to see a classic MkIX Spitfire plane outside the Town Hall, celebrating the 80th anniversary of the RAF’s iconic Battle of Britain fighter’s first flight.
To commemorate the Accrington Pals centenary, actors the History Men, dressed as Accrington Pals soldiers, will be out and about in the town all day to add to the wartime flavour.
Free transport is available on a restored 1968 Leyland Titan double-decker bus with pick-up points around Hyndburn.
Staff from Olympic 2016 uniform supplier Simon Jersey will also be inside the Arndale Centre to enlist support for their Ride to Rio cycling challenge. They are aiming to pedal the 9,395 kilometres from their offices in Altham to the Brazilian capital and visitors can show off their pedal power on two exercise bikes.
The festival will run from 9.45am to 4pm on Saturday, June 4.
