Huge party planned for return of popular Briercliffe Festival

The festival, which takes place on Saturday, August 21st, promises fun for all the family with a variety of activities and attractions lined up on the day.

Kicking things off, a float procession will leave the Hare and Hounds at 10-30am before arriving at Queen Street recreation ground where the fun will run from 11am until 9pm.

There will be a licensed beer tent, fun fair, craft stalls, a dog show, Lancashire's Strongest Man/Woman competition, and much more.

Live music will come courtesy of The Vibe, Dirty Suns and Rakish Paddy, while DJs Kev Riley and Baz will keep crowds entertained well into the evening.

Organisers are also planning a special commemoration to honour those who have died during the past two years.

The dedication details are being kept under wraps, but anybody who would like a friend or loved one remembering on the day should email [email protected].

Briercliffe Festival was brought back in 2018, following a 10-year hiatus, by organisers Brad Pounder, Liam Kilbride and Ju Smith.

The first two events were a huge community success before the pandemic put paid to last year's plans.

"It's been a bit of a nightmare organising this year's festival," said Liam. "We were originally due to be holding it on July 19th, but 'Freedom Day' came two days after, so we just missed out.

"Everything's come together now though, and we can't wait for the day. We wouldn't have been able to do this without the help of local businesses, or the three pubs [Commercial, Craven Heifer, Hare & Hounds] up here; they have all been incredible .

"Briercliffe has lost some big characters in the past 18 months so we thought it would be nice to honour them at the festival. Even if your friend or loved one didn't live in Briercliffe, we would still like to mention them, so please get in touch."

Festival tickets, priced at £5, are available from the Spar, Village Store, Andy Jackson’s, Commercial, Craven Heifer and the Hare & Hounds. Entry for under 16s is free.