Packed programme for town Summer Festival (From Wharfedale Observer)

Packed programme for town Summer Festival

7:00am Sunday 29th July 2012 in News By Jonathan Redhead, Ilkley/Otley Reporter

Organisers of a major summer festival are backing the change in the weather to provide them with a boost for this year’s event.

As ever, the annual Ilkley Summer Festival kicks off at 11am on Yorkshire Day (Wednesday) with a declara-tion by town crier Chris Richards, accompanied by the Clifton Brass Band.

The month-long event, which is now in its tenth year, features some favourite perfor-mers from previous festivals as well as some new events.

And ward councillor Anne Hawkesworth, one of the main organisers, is hoping the sunny forecast could help make this the best year yet.

She said: “We are all set for another huge success.

“The signs are the weather is to improve and summer is starting in August.”

Among events to benefit from an upturn in the weather will be the popular Dolce Vita evening of music and dancing in The Grove on August 18. It will have a twist this year to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

“Most of the tables are already sold to this new popular event in The Grove,” Coun Hawkesworth said.

“We have allocated some tables to take canopies – for the doubters!

“Songs from six decades will entertain and bring back memories. Dominic Alpin and the Honey Bs are back by popular demand this year as the headline act, supported by local group the Five Dollar Shoes and up-and-coming jazz singer Beverley Berne. She will be singing songs from her new album and one or two surprises.”

Other highlights on the festival programme include a Zumba party at the King’s Hall on August 4, with trainers Elyse Shankland, Rachel Howard, Wendy Houlders, Emma Hart and Laura Beadle, while the traditional contin-ental market will take over The Grove for three days from August 10 to 12.

Other events include the Jubilee Grand Variety Show, starring Bernie Clifton, at King’s Hall on August 2, the Diamond Jubilee Matinee at the same venue on August 22, starring Caroline Fields and Steve Barclay, and a Last Night of the Proms Finale Concert featuring the Marsden Silver Prize Band and Fox Corner in The Grove on August 25.

Visit the festival website at ilkleysummerfestival.com for further information, or pop into the Ilkley Visitor Infor-mation Centre in Station Road to buy tickets for all the events. Programme details will appear in next week’s edition, so be sure to order your copy of the paper.