A VILLAGE will celebrate the 50th anniversary of a community association with a festival full of events and entertainment this weekend.

The Hurworth Festival will take place on Saturday to mark half a century since the founding of the Hurworth Community Association.

Organisers say the new event is designed to bring all social groups together and further unite the community, while providing a wide range of entertainment and items of interest for all ages.

This year's Hurworth Scarecrow Festival will also be incorporated with the festival, with dozens of scarecrow creations expected to be dotted around the village.

Although registration for the scarecrow trail has now closed, anyone wanting to take part can still put their design out on Saturday morning and it could still win a prize, but it will not feature on the trail.

The festival will include live bands, dance troupes, children’s entertainment, a climbing wall, bouncy castle, laser quest, crazy golf, inflatable bungee jump and a penalty shootout with a ball firing machine.

As part of the festival, the Hurworth Strawberry Fair, which used to be a popular annual event, will be recreated by All Saints Church and the Scarecrow Festival will be incorporated.

There will be parking for 450 cars at Hurworth Grange, and the festival will stretch from the Grange to the Otter and Fish Inn.

Blue badge parking will also be available at Hurworth House Priory School.

The festival has received support from the National Lottery Community Fund, which helps thousands of projects and organisations across the country.

Bree Stamp, who helped organise the festival, wants people to enjoy the fun.

She said: "We have a full line up of bands, entertainment, stalls and of course The Scarecrow Competition.

"The Village Hall is going to be featuring photos of Hurworth through the years and even the allotments are going to selling fresh produce.

For more information about the event email

hurworthscarecrowfestival@gmail.com