Purley Festival underway (From Richmond and Twickenham Times)

Purley Festival underway

9:30am Wednesday 27th June 2012 in Leisure

The long awaited second annual Purley Festival is up and running with events for all the family.

The first-ever Purley Festival, a week long event attracting over 100 individual activities from music, the arts, film, business and education, took place in 2011.

Billed as the town’s own mini-Glastonbury, the festival is aiming to showcase the area’s best musical talent while also tying in with numerous entertainment activities already organized.

The finale this weekend, will see Rotary Fields lined with more than 50 stalls, a central stage dedicated to the best acts from the area and even a sponsored hot air balloon.

Fiona Lipscombe, festival director, says: "Everybody has given a huge amount of their own time to do this and we are all really excited. Last year it was very successful but one thing we didn’t do well was in marketing it and letting people know what was going on. This year we are far better organised and a much slicker outfit. During the week we have a very eclectic mix building to the big weekend of action."

Music fans can stroll on down to the Jolly Farmers pub for events every night of the week, while Foxley Hatch pub hosts a Pirates Beer Festival from June 27 with punters invited to enjoy the many ales from Nelson’s Brewery.

Fitness fanatics can join adult cardio tennis and adult social play sessions at Purley Sports Club, with junior sessions also available and for creative types there is a huge range of options available.

Ukele lessons at Christ Church, Knit and Stitch and Adult Writing lessons will be on offer at Purley Library while milliner Valerie Mackenzie will hold a hat making tutorial.

Thrown into the mix is an Elvis impersonator and new restaurant Burgers at Blacks, and a talk on modern day China.

The festival comes together for a huge weekend of music and entertainment.

From just a single stage in 2011, the finale has expanded to a two day extravaganza featuring a main stage, acoustic stage, dance stage and enchanted woods area for children.

Purley Festival June 25 to July 1.

A full list of what’s on and where can be found at www.purleyfestival.com