Countdown to Salt Fest - Your guide to what's going on

THERE will be plenty of fun for all the family at the annual Droitwich Salt Fest with activities taking place throughout the weekend.

The St Augustine’s Church bells will ring out at 10am tomorrow (Saturday) to welcome visitors to the town and the exravaganza will be officially opened at 10.30am in Victoria Square by Droitwich Spa Mayor, Coun Graham Beale, and Wychavon chairman, Coun Val Wood.

There will then be a parade through the town led by the Droitwich Air Cadets Band and accompanied by Romans and other exhibitors.

Among the other events taking place tomorrow will be the Roman March in the town centre at 1.30pm and there will be guided walks at 2pm from the Heritage and Information Centre, Victoria Square. The walks last 90 minutes and cost £2. Booking is advisable by calling 01905 774312.

In Saltberrow Market there will be salty singalongs (11am and 2pm), a 1715 election hustings arranged by Hanbury Hall (11.45am) and Ingrid’s Hotel Quartet (12.45pm).

At St Andrews Square Shopping Centre there will be a great programme of live children’s entertainment from the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party group and Wren Arts. That starts at 11am and runs until 4pm and includes the White Rabbot mascot, giant bubbles, puppets, a puppet show, stilt-walking and a performance by Droitwich Rock Choir.

In Victoria Square there will be storytelling throughout the day from 11am to 4.30pm.

In Vines Park there will be live music from 11.30am with artists including this year’s W-Factor finalists and Paper Moon – the winners of the Droitwich Spa High School Battle of the Bands. There will also be the duck race at 4.15pm in the park and live music throughout the evening.

Add to that, a farmers’ market and craft market in St Andrews Street and the High Street, a real ale and cider bar, animal corner and rides on the Pamela May canal barge and there really is a packed fesival planned.

Droitwich Arts Network will be hosting an art exhibition by local artists and the Community Service Zone features information on a range of issues from organisations including the police, Fortis Living and local support groups.

The live music will continue into Sunday in Vines Park when there will also be a dog show.

Here is a full list of what is happening and when throughout Salt Fest:

Friday 11 September

This year’s Salt Fest starts on the Friday evening with a fantastic line up of music in the Vines Park marquee.

6 – 7pm Polly Edwards

7 – 9pm Junction Severn Band

9 – 10.30pm Shaun Lane DJ

Saturday 12 September

Listen out for the St. Augustine’s Church bells as they ring to welcome you to Salt Fest at 10am

Grand Opening

Gather in Victoria Square at 10.30am for the official opening by Cllr Val Wood, Chairman of Wychavon District Council and Cllr Graham Beale, Mayor of Droitwich Spa. Followed by a parade through town led by Droitwich Air Cadets Band accompanied by the Romans and other exhibitors.

Victoria Square 10.30am.

Roman March

Look out for the Romans as they march through town.

Town Centre 1.30pm

Town Walk

Why not join the guided walk to find out more about the town’s fascinating history. Walks last about 1½ hours and cost £2. Booking advisable (tel 01905 774312).

Heritage and Information Centre, Victoria Square 2pm

Saltbarrow Market

Take some time out to enjoy a mixed programme of entertainment in Salt Alley (Saltbarrow Market)

11.00am Mike Johns singing ‘salty sing-a-long’

11.45am Join in the ‘hustings’ for the 1715 election featuring Thomas and Mary Vernon and John Packington. Re-enactment arranged by Hanbury Hall

12.45pm Ingrid’s Hotel Quartet

2.00pm Mike Johns singing ‘salty sing-a-long’

2.30pm Ingrid’s Hotel Quartet

3.15pm Poetry Reading – Sarah James, Claire Walker, Ruth Stacey

St. Andrews Square Shopping Centre

Join the ‘Mad Hatter’s Tea Party’ for a great programme of live children’s entertainment by Wren Arts and Entertainment:

11.00am Mascot White Rabbit/Giant Bubbles/ Puppets

12.00pm Mascot White Rabbit/Balloon Modelling/Stilt Walking

2.30pm Mascot White Rabbit/Balloon Modelling/Stilt Walking

3.45pm Mascot White Rabbit/Giant Bubbles/ Puppets

Look out for other entertainment during the day:

12.45pm Droitwich Rock Choir

2.00pm Puppet Show by Lighthouse Puppets

3.15pm Puppet Show by Lighthouse Puppets

Gurney’s Lane

Busking by Tina Bridgman

Victoria Square

Step inside the Traveling Treasury Caravan for a magical story telling experience. A wonderful experience for all ages.

11am – 4.30pm.

Parks Café, Victoria Square

Join local poet Sarah James, for the launch of her new poetry collection ‘plenty – fish’. Sarah will be joined by fellow poets Mike Alma, Kathy Gee, Ian Glass and Holly Magill for a fantastic evening of poetry readings on the theme ‘endurance’. Free event – no booking require, except for food (available to order 7 – 8pm).

7 – 9pm.

Vines Park

Live Music in the Marquee (Daytime)

Youth Music Showcase featuring a fantastic line up of local young performers.

11.30am W Factor – finalists from this year’s W Factor, which showcased young talent across Wychavon

12.30pm The Smoking Cat

1.15pm The Switch

1.45pm Camden Vampire

2.15pm Paper Moon – winners of Droitwich Spa High School’s Battle of the Bands

2.45pm Lauren Nicole

3.30pm Thom Parry

Other Music in the Park

1.00pm Droitwich Air Cadets Band

Duck Race

The popular duck race takes place on the River Salwarpe in Vines Park. Tickets available from the Droitwich Waterways (Pamela May) Trust stand in the Park.

Vines Park 4.15pm