LOADS of family activities are in store for visitors to the first Taste of Wigton event this weekend.

The day-long festival, part of the Taste Cumbria brand, takes place this Saturday, 23 October, and features everything from food and drink to art, theatre, crafts and more.

Water Street Car Park is the main hub for the event and will host a Producers’ Market, fairground rides, ‘have a go’ street art workshops and hot food stands, as well as a story-telling tipi with tales for all ages from Dominic Kelly and Jessie McMeekin. There will also be a live music stage with plenty of local talent.

In the neighbouring Market Hall will be a Children’s Activity Village, with crafts and dressing up from Rainbow Jelly Productions and circus skills workshops with UseFool Entertainment.

Elsewhere in town will be street theatre, a heritage trail quiz, a Find Wigton Ted treasure hunt with the chance to win an i-Pad. Acclaimed tailor Tom Mahon from Redmayne 1860, which has premises in Wigton and London’s Savile Row, will take part in a free ‘in conversation’ event with BBC Radio Cumbria’s Helen Millican from 3pm at Cornerstone Methodist Church. Tours of the tailor’s workshops are already booked up.

The John Peel Theatre will hold an open morning from 10.30am-12.30pm with dance and theatre workshops, and an art auction from 2pm.

Councillor Mike Johnson, leader of Allerdale Borough Council, said: “Taste of Wigton promises to give a great start to the half term holidays and I hope we will see the same fantastic support for this event as we did at the festivals in Maryport and Cockermouth earlier this year.

“We want to give a brilliant boost to the high street, and to our visiting traders too. There definitely promises to be plenty on offer this Saturday.”

The event is organised by Allerdale Borough Council with the support of Cumbria County Council, Wigton Town Council, North Allerdale Development Trust and Free 4 All community group.

There is one more Taste Cumbria event due to take place this year. Taste Cumbria Christmas is in Cockermouth on 11 and 12 December 2021.