JUNE is upon us and that can only mean one thing - it's time for the Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival.

Get your dancing shoes ready as the folk festival kicks off on Friday with an assortment of venues and gigs to keep you singing and dancing all weekend.

The festival committee has been working on this year's event since August last year and is hoping for more success than previous years.

Ian Norbury, event guide editor and spokesperson for the festival committee, said: "The organising is going very well. We are well on target to producing yet again the best festival that we have had.

"Every year it gets bigger and we are continuing that tradition."

The parade will start on Saturday at 11am at the Somerfield car park and make its way along Wheelock Street to the market field, where part of the action takes place.

There are three centres of activity, the main stage in the festival marquee on the market field, the Royal British Legion, Booth Lane and making its debut is the festival club stage at the Boar's Head Hotel, Kinderton Street. Middlewich will be full of Morris dancers, Ceilidhs, folk music, live bands, a flower festival, real ale and narrowboats and barges from all over the country will line the canal banks.

With the success of previous years this event has firmly established itself as one of the leading festivals in the north west, attracting visitors from all over the country.

Mr Norbury added: "We have got people coming from as far as Southhampton and Scotland and in the past people have travelled to the event from all over the world.

"We want everyone in the town to come along and enjoy this fun, family event."

For more details visit the website at www.middlewichfestival.org and tickets and information can be obtained from the festival box office on 0709 239 0501.

jdriscoll@guardiangrp.co.uk