Blyth Festival

The Blyth Festival was revived in 2009, was a great success, and has continued in subsequent years. Held at the end of June or early July, the Festival is held over a weekend, starting usually with an event in the Church on the Friday night, which in 2009 and again in 2011 was a murder mystery. This combines good food and good wine in an atmospheric setting and an opportunity for amateur sleuths to try to work out ‘whodunit’.

On the Saturday afternoon, Blyth School hosts its Summer Fête in the school grounds with an assortment of fun and games, bouncy castle, barbecue, Maypole dancing, stalls and all the other things you’d expect to find in a typical, modern-day fête. Later on the Saturday, at the cricket ground, there is the Picnic in the Park, with a bar, barbecue lots of music and entertainment, and a grand firework finale; a great opportunity for the residents of Blyth, their guests and visitors to bond and have fun – weather permitting!

On the Sunday afternoon, the Village Fête takes place, again at the cricket ground, where there are competitions, dog show and events, classic cars, ferret racing, cream teas, rides and games, crafts and stalls, bar and barbecue. In 2011, the Village Show was reinstated after an absence of some 40 years. Offering the chance to show off one’s talents, there were classes for flowers and plants, arts and crafts, domestic produce, and a children’s section. It is hoped to repeat this in future years.

The hectic weekend settles down to a calm conclusion with Songs of Praise in the Church on the Sunday evening. For more information, please visit the Blyth Festival website.