Thousands of youngsters are set to enjoy a fun-packed summer with the launch of the first ever Keighley Children's Festival.

Aimed at boosting trade by attracting more families into the town centre during the summer holidays, the festival will feature a host of free activities and entertainment.

It has been organised by Keighley's Town Centre Management Group and features a week-long arts festival from July 12 and a series of six Friday fun days between July 23 and August 27.

If the event - which will cost £16,000 and which will be being funded through Keighley's Single Regeneration Budget and donations from the business community - proves successful and wins enough backing from local traders, the group hopes to make it even bigger next year.

Management group projects officer Wendy Benson said: "It's one of the things we're doing to increase the number of visitors and shoppers coming into the town centre and help Keighley compete with other towns and cities while giving children something fun to do over the summer.

"We've had the odd Friday fun day before and they've always proved very popular and this year we decided to extend them through the entire holiday.''

The five-day Children's Art Festival will feature pupils' works of art on display in shop windows throughout the town centre as well as drama, music and poetry performances.

The first of the Friday fun days, which run from 10.30am to 3.30pm, is for the under-fives, with the rest aimed at those aged four to 12.

Activities will be staged around the town and feature everything from face painting, a litter-awareness road show to a radio-controlled car event, balloon modelling and giant board games.

Workshops cover circus skills and music with Gawthorpe Brass '85 while youngsters will also be able to have their bikes security marked and checked for safety.

There will also be clowns, Punch and Judy, a disco, jugglers and stiltwalkers with additional indoor entertainment provided by the Airedale Shopping Centre on the Fridays.

Businesses wishing to sponsor the festival should call Wendy Benson on 01535 618003.

More details about the activities themselves will be available at Keighley Information Centre.

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