Bumper crowds are expected to flock to Burley-in-Wharfedale this weekend as the fifth annual Summer Festival gets under way. A film characters scarecrow trail is set to be even more successful than last year with entries up from 65 to 100 this year. Festival-goers will be able to vote for their favourite scarecrow and a family-friendly treasure hunt can also be enjoyed throughout the week. Trail forms for judging the scarecrows and for the treasure hunt can be bought for £1 from the Red Lion or from the Roundhouse in Grange Park.

On Saturday the popular Dog Show will pull in plenty of visitors and the annual show of Burley Art Club will also be taking place. Growing fast and ever taller are the large number of sunflowers in gardens across the village to be judged for size and splendour during festival week with prizes to be awarded at the annual show and displays on the day after the festival, Sunday, August 25. Entries for the Burley Classic Show this Sunday are now at 238, including 17 Aston Martins. Alongside the show there is a craft market with a wide variety of stalls in the Queen’s Hall and the Food and Drinks market in the adjacent Red Lion car park. The market with over 27 stalls is a great opportunity to buy all manner of food and drink products from a range of local producers.

Also on Sunday there will be an opportunity to try out bowling in the park, Silsden Town Band will be playing in the afternoon, there will a Healthy Living event in Grange Road surgery, games events in the Church Centre and a further games event in the evening in the Red Lion. Visitors to the village are encouraged to use public transport where possible as parking is limited.

The inaugural concert of the Wharfedale Chamber Ensemble with its conductor, David Greed, leader of the Opera North orchestra, begins the series of arts events throughout the week on the Saturday evening.

On Wednesday there will be Jazz with Beverley Beirne together with Graham Hearn (piano) Ian Mann (bass), Ronnie Bottomley (drums) and Mike Cox (tenor sax) with guitarist Derrick Harris playing for an hour before the gig. Friday night sees the return of Bradford based Paper Zoo Theatre Company with its adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Hard Times and the last night of the Festival has a varied programme of opera classics provided by three singers from Opera North, Sarah Estill (soprano), Paul Gubson (tenor) and Campbell Russell (tenor).

Tickets are still available for all of these events and can be bought through the Burley website at: burley-in-wharfedale.org or in person from the Roundhouse in Grange Park, Main Street, from 2pm to 4pm throughout the Festival.

Elsewhere during the week there is a full programme of walks, children’s events, music in the park and dance. Many events are free or low cost.

For full details of events across the week see the Burley website or pick up a programme from the Burley library or the Roundhouse.