AN ACTION-PACKED weekend of thrifty fun is on the cards as a major festival heads to the region.

World-famous fashion designer Wayne Hemingway and his co-curators will bring the first ever Festival of Thrift to Darlington this weekend.

Organised as a celebration of thriftiness in all its forms, the free festival will take over the town’s Lingfield Point development with a lively schedule of events.

Attractions include a series of workshops teaching everything from chocolate making to quilting and creating wire jewellery.

A host of street performers and theatrical groups will wind through the expansive site, entertaining crowds with a series of shows.

Visitors can browse more than 70 stalls manned by independent artisans and businesses from around the region. They can also take part in a swap-shop or have their old clothes ‘upcycled’ into something new.

The event will showcase a selection of artwork, with an exhibition from local photographer Charles Twist and a series of bee-hive themed sculptures based around Middlesbrough’s architecture set to highlight the region’s creative flair.

Freshly-made delicacies and refreshments can be enjoyed at designated picnic areas and children can take part in free play-day events at the site’s nursery.

The festival, which has garnered national attention, was the brain child of Red or Dead designer Mr Hemingway, who has long been an advocate of thrift, having begun his career selling second-hand clothes at a market.

At the festival’s launch, he said: “This is the first generation to have less than their parents. It is sad but there is no point getting miserable about it. People in general are taking it positively and there is a big community of people who are living thriftily and being more resourceful.

"This event is a celebration of that - it is not about preaching, it is two days of fun with something for everybody.

"We are doing this here because Lingfield Point is probably Britain's best example of taking something old and creating something new and contemporary."

Those travelling from Darlington town centre to the site can hire bikes at a small cost from Café Create on Parkgate.

The festival will run from 10.30am until 5.30pm on Saturday September 21 and 10.30am until 5pm on Sunday September 22.

For more information and a full schedule of events, visit festivalofthrift.co.uk.