With the opening of the Baldock Festival edging closer, the organisers are more than ready to cater to everyone’s tastes with a calendar which is bursting at the seams.

The programme for the summer bonanza – which runs from May 1 until May 17 – has been finalised and will be delivered around the town in due course.

The festival will be opened by a mouth-watering three-day beer festival featuring more than a hundred ales and ciders to be washed down with barbecue food and Rugby World Cup-themed entertainment.

Alongside the suds and sausages there will be live music kicking off on Friday evening, setting the tone for Saturday’s proceedings and drawing the curtain to Sunday night.

The middle weekend of the festival will be dominated by all things bookish with Litfest providing a variety of authors ready to discuss their works over cake and a coffee.

This will also include a bargain book fair at Baldock Community Centre to drum up some cash for Garden House Hospice.

On the same weekend musicians will muscle in on the action for Sounds of Baldock, with an eclectic mix of bands playing folk to heavy rock and everything in between.

The ever-popular Street Fair takes place in the High Street on May 16 with Victorian magicians, fairground rides and balloon men bringing a carnival atmosphere to the table.

The last day of the festival will see the town’s Rotary Club presenting their annual Baldock Open Gardens Day, appreciating all green spaces large and small.

A spokesman for Baldock Festival said: “We are getting close now to the start of one of North Herts’ biggest festivals and we currently have more than 100 events packed into 17 days.

“Around 50 per cent of these are free events including seeing some of the best local bands in the area.

“We have events ranging from Viking re-enactments to street fairs, and people can try bell ringing, visit the classic car show and take in art exhibitions.”

For more information on event timings visit www.baldockfestival.org.