With a thousand years of history at its heart, the market town of Arundel celebrates its country chic this month with the annual Arundel Festival.

This will be the 35th festival and it is now firmly established as one of the south’s premier arts events, with an eclectic programme of Shakespeare at Arundel Castle, street entertainment in the town, free music in the park, a gallery trail, lectures and recitals, the Bath Tub race on the river and spectacular balloon rides over the picturesque town.

“Last year’s festival was a great success with up to 40,000 people coming to the town over the ten days,” says Ash Kent, the festival’s organiser. “This year, the ethos is based around the belief that art comes in many forms, but can define and influence a community from the grassroots upwards.”

This year’s extravaganza kicks off on Friday, August 17, with a folk and country night at Jubilee Gardens - and with a hint of horror. Definitely not for the squeamish, the Arundel Horror Walk is one of several guided walks visiting sites associated with grim and gruesome aspects of the town’s past.

The official opening is on Saturday, August 18, with the Arundel Festival Opening Procession that includes the colourful Children’s Parade led by the Chinese Lion and the Celebration Samba Band down the High Street to a flag-raising ceremony.

Over the course of the festival, the streets of Arundel will come alive with a series of performances ranging from the fun and fantastical to all things stunning and sophisticated. Staged by WOW! Creative, the emphasis is on audience participation as the performers weave their magic on the doorsteps of shops, pubs and houses. Other events include children’s workshops, events at Arundel Lido, poetry readings, plays by Drip Action and the Arundel Players, comedy nights and plays at The Jailhouse.

Artists and makers

More than 1,000 people are expected to join the Arundel Gallery Trail this year as artists and makers including sculptors, painters, printers, ceramicists, photographers and jewellers exhibit their works in a variety of locations. Some of those taking part are established artists, but the gallery trail also showcases the work of unknown local talent. One local artist taking part is Lucy Ames, who will be showcasing her summery paintings at St George’s Cottage, 2 School Lane, Arundel, from Saturday, August 18, to Monday, August 27.

For the fifth year the big stage at the Jubilee Gardens in Arundel will host a line-up of free music by musicians from genres as wide-ranging as folk, country, rock, blues, jazz, classical and African.

Open-air performances of Shakespeare’s The Tempest and The Taming of the Shrew will be staged by GB Theatre in the Collector Earl’s Garden at Arundel Castle. The Tempest will star Dermot Canavan and Peter Dineen and is directed by the actor Jack Shepherd, TV’s Wycliffe. GB Theatre’s manager David Davies, a Shakespeare expert who will also perform in The Tempest, says, “Jack is very creative and has a great love of Shakespeare, so we are very excited that he is joining us at Arundel.”

The classical vocal quartet Blake will be appearing in the Barons’ Hall on Monday, August 20, and the Syd Lawrence Orchestra returns to the castle after more than a decade to treat fans to an al fresco performance of the music of Glenn Miller in the Collector Earl’s Garden on Tuesday, August 21.

The popular Arundel Bath Tub Race will be launched from the town, while Arundel Festival has teamed up with the British School Of Ballooning to offer hot air balloon rides over the town.

Festival facts

The festival finishes on Bank Holiday Monday, August 27, with a spectacular fireworks display taking place as the End Of Festival Parties get under way at the Arundel Lido and Jubilee Gardens.

Arundel Festival, Friday, August 17, until Monday, August 27.
For the full programme, visit www.arundelfestival.co.uk .