Leyburn is the focal point for the first Wensleydale Community Arts Festival which is taking place this week.
The festival opened on Wednesday with a Make Music Day celebration concert at St. Matthews Church (7pm) with performances from Liffy, Wensleydale School and the Colin Bailey Band.
On Friday the performances at St Matthews’s Church include Patrick Green (5.45pm), Elizabeth Carter and Michael Yare (6.30pm) and an evening with the Richmond Hillbillies (7.30pm).
Saturday is the family fun day (from 12noon) with a range of activities in the grounds of St Matthews and fund-raising stalls (indoors if wet).
There is a teddy bear’s picnic or enjoy strawberries and cream while listening to Leyburn Band (3.30pm).
Evening performances include ‘Whispering Strings’ with The Richmond Quartet (6.30pm), Wendy Arrowsmith (7.00pm), Drama with LADS (Leyburn Amateur Dramatic Society, 7.30pm), and BlueBoxt young performers with Colin Bailey and Michael Yare end the evening with popular music (8.30pm).
The Dales Pop Choir bring the festival to a close with an afternoon concert on Sunday (2pm).
Film Night on Friday (6pm) at Leyburn Arts and Community Centre includes a showing of ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ – celebrating the life and music of Whitney Houston. (Usual cinema charges apply £6 | £5 for seniors).
On Saturday, Dales Dance will present an afternoon of Maypole Dancing in the Community Garden (indoors if wet).
The exhibition of local art, photography and crafts at St Matthew’s Church hall will be open 10am-4pm on Friday and Saturday and 2pm-4pm on Sunday.
In the afternoon on Friday there will be story time with the Wonky Tree Bookshop (2pm) and poetry and prose with Donovan Leaman (3pm).
On Saturday it’s storytime at the library (10.30am), Poetry with Patrick Green (Wonky Tree, 2.30pm), talks and demonstrations including local artists Lynn Ward and Maxine Ahmed.
Full details are available at www.wensleydale.org or pick up a printed programme in town.
