A MIX of creative businesses, organisations and funding bodies are throwing their support behind this month’s Festival of Thrift in Darlington.

The award-winning festival returns to Lingfield Point on September 26 for two days of celebrating and promoting sustainable living.

The Festival, which recently received the 2015 Arts and Culture Observer Ethical Award, is expected to attract 50,000 people over the course of the weekend and this year it has won the support of 13 funders and partners.

Public funding has been made available by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and the event is being hosted and supported by Lingfield Point, Darlington Borough Council and Creative Darlington.

Other major partners include Darlington Building Society, County Durham Community Foundation, Thirteen Group, SwapBuy and Teesside University as well as support from Lexus Teesside, Northumbrian Water, Tracy Kidd Photography, DFDS Seaways, Cummins Engineering and BBC Tees.

Festival director, Stella Hall said: “We’re thrilled to have such a diverse range of supportive funders and partners supporting Festival of Thrift 2015.

“Each year we work hard to build partnerships with organisations that are committed to a sustainable ethos to really complement the spirit of the Festival of Thrift.

“With the backing of our supporters, this year’s festival is set to be bursting at the seams with a wonderful mix of thrifty entertainment and artists.

“We are anticipating 50,000 visitors will travel from all corners of the country and even from overseas to Darlington over the course of weekend, which will offer a real boost to the local economy.”

The festivities will start on Friday, September 25 in Darlington town centre with the rebuilding of Darlington Railway Station’s clock tower out of cardboard boxes in the Market Square.

This coincides with the town’s celebrations of the 190th anniversary of the world’s first passenger steam train that travelled between Stockton and Darlington in 1825.

The Festival of Thrift will then open its gates at Lingfield Point over Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September 27 for a weekend filled with free frugal fun.

It will feature nationally known scrimpers, artists, musicians, special installations, demonstrations, debates, workshops, stalls and much more.