AS the 38th Grassington Festival continues some top acts have been welcomed to the Dales, along with some glorious sunshine.

With events from storytelling, to dance, to a shadow puppetry and animation workshop, live music, speakers, comedy and more, visitors and residents alike have not been short of things to do in Grassington.

Saturday night saw five comedians descend on the Festival Hall, including Robert White, recent runner-up of Britain’s Got Talent.

Every lunchtime last week singers and musicians took to the stage in the Square for a series of festival picnics. Performances came from local talents Gaz Keeton and Callum Spencer, returning act Dead Mans Uke and Leeds-based folk duo Rum Doodle.

Other musical offerings included a sell-out performance of Chris Simpson’s The Visitor, the internationally acclaimed Joe Stilgoe Trio and Putting the Band Back Together, part riotous gig, part tender storytelling.Voices of Craven, joined by acclaimed soprano Sarah Fox, presented their programme A Sense of Belonging at St Michael the Archangel Church in Kirkby Malham on Saturday night, and Benyounes Quartet, co-presented by Skipton Music, celebrated its tenth anniversary at Kettlewell’s Scargill House on Sunday.

“We’ve had some brilliant events so far, with absolutely amazing feedback from our audiences” said festival director Kate Beard.

Audiences were transported to another world by Beneath Our Feet, where dance and music told the story of the underground in a promenade performance at Stump Cross Caverns. There was show stopping street theatre on Saturday, and a focus on storytelling on Sunday, including a performance of Tunstill’s Men by Skipton Academy, and #Storytime by Joanne Harris in the Octagon.

It has been a very successful week for the festival, with a full house for Chris Mason on Thursday night, BBC political correspondent, who was born and raised in Grassington. Then on Friday, the Octagon was packed out for Born A Hidden Child, a personal and poignant talk by Hanneke Dye. Due to popular demand, there will now be a second opportunity to see this talk at 11am Thursday.

As the close of this year’s festival approaches, there is still much to look forward to. Don’t miss the grand finale, a double whammy this year, starting with Friday Night’s Party Night with British Electric Foundation and DJ, and then on Saturday Festival in the Field Day will feature The Fratellis, Sam Kelly and the Lost Boys, Coco and the Butterfields, a full day and evening of fun for all the family.

For more information about remaining events and tickets for the final three days, visit grassington-festival.org.uk or ring the Grassington Festival box office on 01756 752691.

The final events are as follows:

Thursday, June 28

The Courtyard Dairy, Austwick – Cheese Making with Andy Swinscoe – 9.30am-3pm

Games Room Festival Hall – Food For Thought with Joanna Mahler, 1pm

Craven Arms, Appletreewick – The Moonbeams, 7.30pm

Friday, June 29

Ladies Room, Festival Hall – Made With Music Tuneful Tots, 10.30am

Festival Hall – SWARM: A Creation of Many Hands by Laney Birkhead, noon-4pm

Festival in the Field Marquee – Friday Night’s Party Night with British Electric Foundation and special guests plus DJ, 8pm

Saturday, June 30

Festival in the Field Day – The Fratellis and entertainment for all the family, noon-11pm