A fortnight of fun is almost upon us, with the Letchworth Festival opening this weekend.

Saturday’s launch event will include a parade around town, as well as a family fun day in Broadway Gardens, where there will be live music, dancing, stalls, a classic car show, fun fair, hog roast and lots more to entertain throughout the day.

Free parking is available at the Spirella Building in Bridge Road and road closures will be in place between 9.30am and 11.30am.

There will also be a vintage bus to take people to and from the festivities around Letchworth, which include Biology Blast at 34 Leys Avenue.

Workshops for young people will teach science in a fun way, with edible DNA, cell-making from clay, mad scientist hair spray painting, and portrait drawings of famous biologists.

Running at the same time - 11am until 1pm - there will be a digital rap music session at the Imperial Arts Audio Gallery in The Wynd, where youngsters will be tasked with creating a biology-inspired song in an hour, which they will then perform to an audience. Just turn up, or book by emailing ingrid.horgan@yahoo.co.uk.

Over the 16-day festival, there will be more than 130 events taking place, including some great activities for children.

The Wynd Children’s Festival, with a princess and pirate theme, will run from 10am until 4pm on Saturday, June 27, and include singing and dancing, gardening and astronomy, a visit from Iggle Piggle, a bouncy castle, face painting and glitter tattoos.

For outdoor fun with the family, why not take part in a treasure hunt with a twist? Geocaching uses GPS technology to bring the traditional favourite bang up-to-date.

For more about the event, which will take place at The Pirate Ship in The Wynd on Sunday, June 28, email amanda.brewerton@letchworthfestival.org.

On Sunday, June 28, the festival will finish with Proms in the Park, showcasing music from local bands. At the Howard Park event, there will also be stalls, a fun fair and the chance for children to have their photos taken with Elsa and Anna from Disney’s Frozen.

The Letchworth Festival is run entirely by volunteers and provides an opportunity to publicise clubs and societies, as well as promote the services of businesses in the town.

James Ellis, of Beacon Digital in Works Road, helped produce the festival’s marketing materials.

He said: “It’s been great to be involved in designing the programme – a real pleasure to do something for the town where I live.

“I have really enjoyed being involved in the organisation of this year’s Letchworth Festival.”

For details on parking for Saturday’s launch, as well as the full programme of events, visit www.letchworthfestival.org.