Featured artists

 
Did you know that there is a whole range of world-class festivals right here on your doorstep?  Whether your particular interest is literature, music, performance, carnival or dance, there is something to suit everyone in each and every corner of Derbyshire.  We've delved around and done our research in order to bring you a round-up of festivals happening in the summer of 2010.

• Did you know that the spiritual home of Gilbert & Sullivan is in Buxton? 
• Did you know that some of the biggest names in literature pay Derbyshire's villages a visit every year in droves? 
• Or that you can take a peek into the private homes of Melbourne and Wirksworth every autumn in the quest for art?

Many of our readers will have been attending local carnivals for years and you may even have spent hours stitching home-made costumes together for your children’s coveted place on a float.  Carnival is integral to the activities of many of the festivals in Derbyshire, but there is often so much more to see and do.

We’ll take you on a whistle-stop tour of what’s on in 2010 guide, so that you can be inspired to dust off those party shoes and get out there this summer!

Take me straight to stuff happening this autumn!

Dates for your diary - Spring and early summer

2010 is the year of the festival for the County, with Derbyshire having a big part to play in the East Midlands Cultural Olympiad programme in the lead up to the Olympic Games in 2012.  The Festival of Festivals will span from June to November 2010 and will include spectacular events such as the Great Shakespearean Workout which can be seen at nine festivals across Derbyshire, with the big launch taking place on William Shakespeare's birthday, 23rd April. The Great Shakespearean Workout 2010 is an innovative arts-and-health project that engages participants physically with Shakespeare's inspirational language, vibrant characters and exciting sense of theatre.

Also starting early in the Spring on the 2nd of April and running through until the 20th of June is the Synapse Festival in Derby.  Celebrating the talent of artists based in Derby, Nottingham and Leicester, with painting, photography, print, video and sculpture; traditionally presented exhibitions, one-off projects and special collaborations.

Sandi Williams Bowl - Derbyshire Food and Drinks Fair and Crafts at Kedleston, at Kedleston Hall in 2010

Launching on the 9th of May is the Spring Peak Festival which is a series of literary events that run over 3 months. Famous authors appear to give talks and readings at the bookshop and, for local-interest buffs, The Peak District Book of the Year Award is also presented to the best book originating from the county. In previous years, the festival has taken place at The Country Bookshop in Hassop Station, near Bakewell.  This year the festival will be held at Calver Village Hall.  Previous writers who have appeared include Alan Titchmarsh, Joan Bakewell, Anne Widdecombe MP, Ellen MacArthur and Michael Winner.  This year's programme includes Ben Okri and Gervaise Phinn. 

Heanor Festival takes place 1-8 May and includes a series of events such as An evening with Stephen Booth - local crime writer - on the 4th of May, a Storytelling Cafe for an adult audience on the 7th of May and Storytelling for Young People (3-7 year olds) on the 8th of May.  Draycott Festival of Arts and Gardens takes place 2-3 May which promises to be a weekend full of things to do for visitors and residents all ages.  Explore gardens, take part in workshops, enjoy music, arts and crafts.  All for £2 per person!

The music festival season starts in earnest in May, with Indie-rock festival Bearded Theory in Hulland Ward, near Ashbourne (14-16 May).  Also in May for art lovers is the Holymoorside & Walton Arts Festival (22 May to 20 June), promoting the arts in and around the community. Growing steadily in size each year there’s music, including a Young Musicians' Festival Day , art that includes a joint exhibition of 4 local artists , and barn dancing to partake.

If music, the arts and books aren’t your cup of tea, then maybe a cup of tea and a slice of cake are!  The Derbyshire Food and Drink Festival runs at a variety of Derbyshire producers’ venues from 22-31 May, with the Derbyshire Food and Drink Fair taking place at Kedleston Hall 22-23 May.  Derbyshire-based artists and makers exhibit their work at Crafts@Kedleston and the festival is an extravaganza of local produce ranging from local cheeses, pickles, meats, wines and breads to locally produced cookery ware.

The Derbyshire Open Arts festival is now in its fifth year and growing in size and strength each year. It is a free event that runs over the Bank Holiday weekend of 29-31 May and invites you to visit artists and craftspeople in their showspaces and workplaces. 

Pictured: Olinda Everett's work, on show at a group exhibition in Dronfield at this Spring Bank Holiday's Derbyshire Open Arts Festival

The artists want visitors to take the opportunity to find out what inspires them, share their craft with you and to experience the joy of making it. 

There are events happening in towns and villages right across the county, with over 130 artists taking part, so there’ll be sure to be something to your taste taking place near you.  Take a look at our special guide to some of the artists showing this Spring Bank Holiday, or pick up a free brochure from libraries and tourist information centres across the County. 

You can also find out more at the Derbyshire Open Arts website, that lists all of the artists at all of the locations. 

Belper Music Festival runs 25th-27th May.  The festival attracts musicians and entertainers from around the UK and there are also stalls and workshops and much more to do. 

Heading west and out to the scenic village of Hartington, you can catch the Hartington Food and Folk Festival (29-30 May) where food is also a big part of the celebrations and the festival itself claims to be Britain's most intimate Folk Festival!

A little further south in Castle Donnington is the first Off the Tracks music festival of the summer (28-30 May), a weekend of music and ale, ale and music... and camping!

Join the Middle 8 Festival Fun in Derby at the end of May 2010

Or in Derby City, you can attend the Middle 8 Festival (28-30 May), which is a 'Fringe-style' festival of music from punk to hip-hop, indie to dance in addition to stand up poets, modern dance, theatre and art installation.  While you are there, make sure to watch out for Chris O'Shea's 'Hand From Above' on the BBC Big Screen in Derby Market Place.

Also in Derby 29-30 May is Every Second, Derby's first Jazz biennale!  It's a two day party featuring some of the UK's most popular and entertaining jazz performers including Curios and Courtney Pine (pictured here). 

It's a 'must attend' series of events for those of you who like to jazz.  Tickets for each of the Saturday afternoon concerts are £12, or £20 for both; there are also concerts in the evenings and on Sunday afternoon.   

From the 28 May to 4 June, the streets of nearby Ashby-de-la-Zouch will come alive with the sounds of music, displays of public art, cinema, storytelling, drama and children's activities at the Ashby Arts Festival .  With plenty of half-term entertainment, you can indulge your need to party and imbibe the arts with keeping the children entertained too!  

If you are in the area on the 29th of May, the Castleton Ancient Garland Festival is worth checking out. The King and his Consort lead a merry procession of dancing girls, accompanied by the local band, through the streets of Castleton. 

Starting at the Nags Head in Cross Street their destination is the Market Place.  A short route, except for the fact that the procession stops for a drink in every pub en route! 

As we spill into June, The Barlow Proms on the 5th of the month greets us with music and songs from the movies.  The Barlow Festival Chorus join the FONO Philharmonic Orchestra, along with guest artists from 6pm at the Barlow Recreation Ground. Tickets are £20, available from the Chesterfield Tourist Information Centre.

The first of June heralds the start of the Derbyshire Literature Festival , which runs 1-14 June 2010 and features over 100 events - from author talks to poetry walks; craft and writing workshops; and events for children and young people. The Festival takes place across the county, in libraries and many other community venues and features a wide range of events and activities including author talks, writing workshops, performances, storytelling and craft workshops.

Angela Huth will be talking about her international bestseller 'The Land Girls', and her latest novel 'Once a Land Girl', which follows the story of Prue, Stella and Ag after the end of the Second World War. Crime writers Stephen Booth, Michael Morley, Stephen Dunne and David Hewson will be giving their insight into the world of crime fiction; and Judith Allnatt will be talking about her latest novel 'The Poet's Wife', which is based on the life of the poet John Clare's wife. Pick up a Festival brochure from any Derbyshire Library (from 1st April) or visit our artsderbyshire information pages .

There will be a series of acoustic concerts as part of the Festival that celebrate the history and heritage of Derbyshire brought to you by young musicians David Gibb (pictured below), Lucy Ward and Sarah Matthews. Derbyshire was the subject matter of the the Mills and Chimneys lyric writing competition launched earlier this year. The two winners of this competition - Joel Williams, winner of the under 16's category, and Jeremy Duffield, winner of the over 16's category -  join the ranks of young musicians entertaining festival-goers this year.

David Gibb (pictured) will be one of the young musicians entertaining festival-goers this year.

The Literature Festival is also bringing itself bang up to date this year and has a Facebook page set up for fans of literature to come together and find out about the festival as it unfolds.  There is also a Twitter page which will feature a 'Tweeter-In-Residence' Matt Black.  So, if you like to do your internet business this way, then join the Festival online.

On the 12th of June there is a literary festival of an alternative kind; Alt.Fiction  is a Derby based festival of horror, science fiction and fantasy fiction, running as a part of the wider Derbyshire Literature Festival.  The day is made up of a number of different types of sessions, including author talks, Q&A sessions, discussion panels and workshops. There will also be a number of publishers in attendance, including Angry Robot Books, Gollancz, Solaris, Abaddon and BBC Books.

There's more music in June with the Download Festival at Donington Park from 11 - 13 June. This year the Download Festival celebrates 30 years of the Monsters of Rock and has confirmed acts that include Rock Royalty such as Aerosmith, Motorhead, AC/DC, Stone Temple Pilots, Rage Against the Machine and Megadeath. 

Ilkeston Festival starts on the 12th of June and carries on into July, with bands, dance, workshops, recitals to get you in the mood. There are some very special newcomers to this year's programme including contemporary artists commissioned through Derbyshire Arts Development Group's re:place project whose work will be installed in both empty and working shops and other venues in Ilkeston town centre. Also Cotmanhay Knit and Natter group who have taken over the library staircase with an unusual display of work.  Go and meet the group, see what treasures can find hidden in the garland, find out how to knit your own flowers and maybe add your work to the installation  - All abilities welcome. 

On the 19th of June you can indulge your need to spend cash on arts and crafts at the Swadlincote Summer Craft Fair .  From 11-13 June you can stumble upon one of the Lyric Lounge 2010 events.  The Lyric Lounge 2010 is a series of mini-festivals in Derby, Leicester, Nottingham and Loughborough that celebrates spoken word, and aims to inspire new writers and performers.

Ashbourne Festival is in it's 11th year and kicks off on the 19th of June, running until the 4th of July.  The festival's programme of events combines diverse venues, popular and classical music, comedy, workshops, poetry events and art exhibitions.    The festival opens on the 19th of June with the first of two exhibitions featuring local and international artists, photographers, sculptors and craftsmen (19-24 June and 26-27 June) at the Town Hall.

There's a day of International Street performers on Saturday the 19th of June; Comedienne Jenny Éclair joins the Festival with a stand-up show special on the 2nd and 3rd of July; local writer Stephen Booth returns to the Ashbourne Festival to discuss his new book set around Ashbourne and former Derbyshire Poet Laureate, River Wolton adds her poetic skills to Poetry in the Garden. 

The Endellion String Quartet will add Ashbourne to its world tour itinerary this year playing selected works from Haydn, Beethoven and Britten at St Oswald's Church on Saturday 26th of June.  Adam Summerhayes and David Gordon, both world virtuosos, create a vibrant and dynamic sound with their supercharged harpsichord and electric fiddle.  And there will be a  Gala Concert by the Derby Bach Choir on the 3rd of July.   Tickets for all events can be purchased  from the Tourist Information Centre from 1 May.

Belper River Gardens will host Midsummer Magic with 1623 Theatre Company - the theatre group behind the summer series of the Great Shakespearean Workout.  Running from 23-26 June, you can frolic through a fairy kingdom and uncover some magical mischief!

Towards the close of the month, you can visit Bakewell International Day of Dance  and enjoy colourful costumes, lively music, and wonderful dancing (26th June from 11.30am to 4.30pm). 

It's a community dance festival that is a celebration of dance in all its many forms from around the world.  There are opportunities to see different dance styles at the 6 venues around the town of Bakewell, and with hour-long workshops at just £2 taking place at the Town Hall and the Medway Centre - Bollywood, Greek, Salsa, European and Tango - you can take part too. An evening ceilidh in the Town Hall rounds off the day's festivities.  

The daytime event is held at various outdoor venues around the town, with dance workshops at the Town Hall and Medway Centre.  Evening ceilidh starts at 8pm (doors open at 7.30pm), and will be held at the Town Hall.

Dates for your diary - High Summer

July is all about carnival and music!  

The Ashover Well Dressed Festival is a folk and roots music festival in the small village of Ashover that takes place 2-4 July.   The National Forest Folk Festival  will be taking place also on the weekend of 2-4 July, at the award-winning Conkers attraction, offering some of the most unique and talented contemporary folk acts from around the country. 

And in Matlock, for £5 per head is Ciderfolk 2010  (4 July) which is an inspiring blend of the best traditionally produced cider the UK has to offer entwined with some of the best folk music in the Midlands. Need we say more?!

The much bigger  Buxton Festival kicks off at the start of July also (7-25 July), which is a celebration of opera, music and literature.  This year there are operas by Verdi, Mozart, Handel, Benjamin and Cornelius; music to suit all tastes including classical, jazz, folk, swing and readings to music. The literature element of the Festival allows the audiences to share the latest work by big names in the literary world and offers the opportunity to hear some up-and-coming authors in an intimate environment.  

For the under-30s, there's a bargain not to be missed this year. From June 1st the best available seats are just £5 for all events.  With some seats retailing at £54, this is an offer not to be missed, so dust off your ID and get the date in your diary to give the box office a call! 

If you'd like to do your research then you can see a list of  this year's operas , which are the Festival's main draw, but there are also gems on the music programme and the literature events programme including names such as Melvyn Bragg, Prue Leith and Vince Cable (pictured). You can order a brochure on 01298 70395 and book tickets on 0845 12 72 190. 

Giselle at this year's Buxton Festival

Running alongside the Buxton Festival is the Buxton Festival Fringe . The Fringe run a varied and exciting programme that gets bigger and better every year, showcasing artists and performers of all kinds. The Fringe is a family friendly festival that provides a showcase for performers and artists of all kinds in a variety of venues.  Dance, drama, music, poetry, comedy, film, exhibitions and magic are just some of the artforms that have appeared - everyone is welcome to come along and join in with the fun! 

The Festival Fringe launches on 7 July with a Fringe Launch Party starting at 8pm and partying on until midnight.  You can experience class-acts such as Fordante (pictured to the left here), a crossover group who perform music from the big screen.  Ideal for those who enjoy emotive, melody-rich, picture-invoking music. Fordante are playing twice on 18 July at 4pm and 7.30pm. 

And you can c atch the fun of the Fringe at Fringe Sunday, which is a free outdoor event based around the bandstand in the park and featuring music, drama, street theatre, kids' tent and tasters of Fringe shows. Bring the family plus picnic and enjoy the Fringe atmosphere.

The Festival Fringe includes for the first time this year an Arts Trail on the weekend of 10-11 July .  Visitors can find art in the homes and studios of artists who will be opening up for public access this year.  It promises to be a 'whole town experience' and so dust off your walking shoes (or drive between venues) to explore the town of Buxton in your quest for wonderful art in unexpected places. 

And Performance Storytelling comes to the Buxton Festival Fringe for the first time also!  Derbyshire based professional storyteller Sophie Snell is bringing her show “ Seven Deadly Sins ” to the Buxton Festival Fringe.

When you've worn down your shoe leather and need to rest your feet, then head over to the Art Cafe in the Pavilion Gardens complex where you can enjoy a cup of tea and a slice of cake and view more art!  Visuals from Verse will be on display in the Art Cafe which is an exciting exhibition featuring paintings, ceramics & jewellery all inspired by lines from poetry or literature.

The Buxton Art Trail at Buxton Festival Fringe: artists featured here, Norman Eliot and 'Laid off Guy'

The Ripley Music Festival (11-18th July) is an annual week-long event that showcases the best local talent and has a diverse selection of music ranging from rock to classical.  Later in the month and also in Ripley at the Midland Railway Centre is the Indietracks Indiepop Festival (23-25 July) where you can choose between the music on offer or unlimited train rides!

Stainsby Festival arrives on the weekend of 16-18 July at Brunt's Farm near Chesterfield.  There is music, music and music on offer, or if you like to jam, then meet up at open jams and workshops throughout the event and meet the artists you've just been watching on stage.  It promises to be a relaxing and child-friendly event with all this music and some storytelling and poetry thrown in too. 

Also in July is the Belper Food, Real Ale and Craft Festival on the 18th of July held in the town centre and celebrating local produce. This year, the festival will be opened by stall holder, cheese-maker and ex-Coronation Street actor Sean Wilson, otherwise known to many people in the UK as Martin Platt.  

South of Belper and into Derby on the same weekend is the Caribbean Carnival (17-18 July) which has been taking to the streets of Derby since 1975.  The 17th sees the Procession Day and the carnival taking to the streets with troupes from all over the UK, floats and glittering costumes.  On the 18th is the family day in Osmaston Park with music, a funfair, food and arts and crafts on offer.

The Matlock Live! Bands in the Park series was hugely popular last year and it is back again in 2010. Bands from around the county fill the bandstand in Hall Leys Park every Sunday with the sweet, and sometimes bombastic sounds, of Brass, Wind and Silver. Take along a picnic and make a day of it!

The Buxton Puppet Festival runs 26-31 July, now in its 8th year and celebrating with a range of performances and workshops at a variety of locations around Buxton.

Over the weekend of the 24-25th of July, over 60 Peak District Products members will be exhibiting their arts and craftwork at the Great Dome Art Fair in Buxton.  The fair has become a highlight in the art and craft collector's calendar with everything from paintings and sculpture, textiles and jewellery, to furniture and wood carvings on display - and, of course, for sale. 

Check out the full programme on the Peak District Products website for more details of workshops, talks and demonstrations taking place.  You can also get a flavour of all the arts, crafts and products on offer to help you plan taking a little piece of Derbyshire home with you.

Also taking place this weekend on the 25th of July is the South Asian Arts Festival that will be starting at 1pm in the Market Square in Derby.  It will be a spectacular celebration of South Asian culture with music and dance, arts and crafts showcases and Asian cuisine.  It'll be an outdoor music and dance extravaganza from the world of Bollywood to Bhangra with a twist of urban flavours!  So, go along and be a part of one of the biggest outdoor live Asian music events in the East Midlands.

The month ends with the Y Not Music Festival in Pikehall, near Bakewell which takes place on the weekend of 30th July to 1st August offering a varied range of food, hands-on workshops, performance and visual artists all in one intimate and friendly small festival environment. Also taking place on this weekend (29 - 1 August) is the Rock and Blues Custom Show at the Coney Grey Showground in Pentrich, if you like your music a little heavier.

As we head into the heat of August (or indeed the rain, judging by years past!) we have Bakewell Arts Festival (6-15 August), with venues dotted around the town of Bakewell and events as diverse as folk, pop and rock music, theatre and art exhibitions and poetry. Also in Bakewell 13-15 August is the Bakewell Acoustic Music Festival , that otherwise goes under the acronym of BAMF.  3 days, with 20 artists performing Folk, Blues, Latin, Country, Bluegrass, Rock and Jazz!  As if that isn't enough to fill your ears, you can also fill your tums with Real Ale and Food and take part in Workshops and browse the stalls.

Dronfield Music Festival takes place on the 8th of August across two stages for the first time this year - it promises to be a family fun day out and raises money for charity at the same time, so worth a look in!   If your penchant is for Heavy Metal music, then you’ll be catered for with Bloodstock!, near Castle Donington over the weekend of 13-15 August.

At the southern most parts of Derbyshire in Moira, kicking off on 20 August (and running on until late on 22 August) is the Moira Furnace Folk Festival that promises to be affordable family fun.  There are craft and food stalls, concerts, open mics, folk sessions and morris dancing and ceilidhs - worth going along to if you can muster the energy!

Ahead of the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival at the end of the month comes the Gilbert & Sullivan Youth Festival   that takes place in Buxton 26-30 July, introducing a younger audience to the delights of G&S! The Pirates of Penzance (29 July) and HMS Pinafore(30 July) are amongst the programme of youth theatre companies bringing productions to Buxton ahead of the main G&S Festival.

The International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival starts on the 31st of July and runs through until the 21st of August.  The festival is the world's biggest celebration of the works of Gilbert and Sullivan with 28 full scale productions in the magnificent Buxton Opera House.  This year three new productions will be appearing - The Mikado, The Yeomen of the Guard and Iolanthe. There's also a packed fringe programme running alongside the main events.  Over 75 Festival Fringe events take place during the day along with a nightly Festival Club with food and cabaret so you can G&S from dawn til dusk!!

Always colourful, always vibrant, always fun!  The International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival 2010 descends on Buxton in August

Dates for your diary - Early autumn

There was a clash of dates of two huge festivals in 2009, with Wirksworth and Melbourne Festivals both happening on the same weekend in September.  Both are ‘must-see’ events and this presented a dilemma to arts lovers.  This year, visitors can pace themselves a little better with the opportunity to attend both.

Wirksworth Festival’s dates (10-26 September) are dictated by the ancient ceremony of ‘clypping’ the church when the congregation of St Mary’s Church surround their church with joined hands.  

The music and celebration that originally accompanied the clypping has grown into an exciting festival of contemporary visual arts and performance. 

For the Art & Architecture Trail (11-12 September) Wirksworth is taken over by 150 artists exhibiting everywhere, in private homes from the grandest town house to the tiniest cottage and in public spaces all around - promising great art in unexpected places.  

The Festival offers new commissioned work including the town's first Arts Pavilion, installations in shop windows and curated galleries.  There is music, performance, dance, crafts and a carnival atmosphere.  Programme details can be found on the website www.wirksworthfestival.co.uk and on their Facebook page. 

We've pulled together some highlighted events from this year's programme in the list below to whet your appetite:

• Mills and Chimneys, Songs of Derbyshire, 10 September
• Charity Shop DJ, 11 September
• Comedy Night, 11 September
• Mercian Piano Trio, 12 September
• Ice and Fire Theatre, 14 September
• Twilight, 15 September
• Poetry and Prose in the Pub,15 September
• Matt Rattcliffe, 16 September
• Organ Recital, 17 September
• Psychicbread, 17 September
• Artists' Film and Video Salon, 18 September
• Orchestral Performance, 18 September
• Derby Cathedral Choir, 18 September
• Raise Your Voices adult choir, 18 September
• INdepenDANCE, 18 September
• MissImp, 18 September
• Ladies Barber Shop Performance, 19 September
• Modern Guitar Trio, 19 September
• The Green Bottle Pirate and other Tales, 19 September
• Big Green Day, 19 September
• Monsters, Magic and Mayhem, 19 September
• Cotton Grass Theatre, 21 September
• Chez Marcel, 22 September
• Sophie Snell's Seven Deadly Sins, 23 September
• Mamelodi Workshop Performance Event, 24 September
• Cafe Philosophique, 24 September
• Tomorrows Ancestor & David Gibb with support May K.B., 25 September
• Choral Performance, 25 September
• Derby Chamber Orchestra, 25 September

In its 6th year in 2010, Melbourne Festival too has an ‘arts and architecture trail’ as part of its festival activities and a varied arts programme that brings you fabulous art in wonderful and unexpected corners of this Southern Derbyshire town. 

The Art and Architecture Trail will see approximately 90 professional Artists and Makers exhibiting in private houses, public buildings and businesses in the historic heart of Melbourne on 18th and 19th of September this year. 

There will also be exhibitions by local schools and art groups and musicians, buskers and other activities along the trail including The 1623 Theatre Company with their Olympic Shakespearean Workout 2010. 

A varied and full concert programme runs for the two week duration of the festival (10-25 September) offering music, poetry and theatre, to complement the Arts Trail weekend where you can get the opportunity to experience the talent of the local artists of South Derbyshire.

Highlights from this year's programme are listed here below, so be sure to make time to fit Melbourne AND Wirksworth Festivals into your diaries this September.

• Dani Wilde, 11 September
• This and that, 11 September
• The Sitwell Singers, 11 September
• Andra Sparks, 12 September
• Hothouse Big Band, 16 September
• Hannah James and Sam Sweeney, 16 September
• The Comedy Club, 17 September
• Get Rhythm, 17 September
• Janice Allen, 18 September
• Camp David - David Bowie Tribute Act, 18 September
• The Perfect Crime - Between the Covers, 21 September
• My Brilliant Divorce, 23 September
• Musica Domun Dei, 24 September
• The Idle Hands, 24 September
• Scandal in the cathedral close: the singer and the swan, 24 September
• Come and Sing Choral Workshop, 25 September
• A Choir'd Taste, 2 October

Also in September is the second Off the Tracks music festival of the summer (3-5 September) in Donnington, South Derbyshire and the Onboard the Craft Music Festival (3-5 September) that promises 2 days of amazing Space and Prog Rock & Blues. 

New Mills Community Festival in the High Peak is a fortnight long festival which runs this year from  Friday 10th September to Sunday 26th September. The Festival  offers a unique opportunity for individuals of all ages and families to join together to celebrate their community through a great variety of events and activities, hosted by local community groups. The festival includes a series of workshops in lantern-making  and fire-sculptures, and culminates in an evening lantern parade through the Torrs Riverside Park followed by a special firework display. This years theme is ‘Music’.

Lanterns for the New Mills Community Festival. Picture supplied by the Festival Organisers.

Also starting on the 10th of September and running through the weekend until the 12th is the Dovedale Arts Festival . It's a weekend of music, talks, poetry, comedy and art held at Lower Hurst Farm, Hartington including music from the Allegri Quartet, talks by Deborah, Dowager Duchess of Devonshire, poet Christopher Reid, authors including Thomas Pakenham, Miranda Seymour and Matthew Rice.

During September, Derby has two great festivals to continue its summer festival season.  The first is the Derbyshire Rainbow Fringe Festival that kicks off on the 10th of September and takes us through the month and into October with a whole host of things to do including a FREE Children's and Family Event at Derby Theatre on September 11; a Street Dance Taster Workshop at Curzon’s Night Club on September 17 from 8-9pm and another on September 24, 8-9pm;  and an Art Exhibition at Derby Guildhall that'll be on display from September 27 until 2 October.

The clue is in the name though, and so there are also a host of activities happening around the County too including the following:

• September 11: Children and Family Event at Chesterfield Library, 11-1pm Free Event
• September 11: Music, poetry and Book Readings, River Wolton and Narvel Annable, Lea Tea Rooms & Gardens, Lea, Matlock, Derbyshire. 7.30 – 10pm. Free Event
• October 2: Children’s Hour screening at the Ritz Belper.

And, if you fancy getting involved and bringing your own talent to the world then get yourself down to the Has Derbyshire Got Talent? auditions that will be taking place 16, 23, 30 September and 7 October, with the grand finale rounding off the Festival on 14 Oct.

Join in some family fun with the Derbyshire Rainbow Fringe Festival 

 

Towards the end of September, the strength of the summer sun may be fading, but the action is not - so, go along to the 4th Derby Festé for more street party and carnival atmosphere. Derby Festé is fast becoming a central event in Derby’s cultural calendar, bringing the whole city out on the streets for three days of fantastic events and extraordinary performance.

Derby Festé is a free three-day festival taking place 24-26 September, in and around Derby’s city centre bringing together world-class live performance, music, film and more, creating amazing experiences which will take your breath away! Follow Festé on Twitter and Facebook for news on what’s coming to Derby this year and to get the latest as it happens.

Since Festé first appeared in 2007, we’ve seen giant fire-breathing dragons roaming the streets of Derby, daring aerial acrobatics, street parties, live bands and much much more... Starting on Friday 24th September this year’s festival will bring a variety of international and local artists together for three days of breathtaking live performances to stimulate your senses!

A varied programme of entertainment at Derby Festé 2010

Head into the woodland near Black Rocks, near Cromford, for the Black Rocks Woodland Festival (2-3 October).  Enjoy a woodland alive with crafts, demonstrations and free activities for everyone, all set in beautiful surroundings.

The Shakespeare Schools Festival takes place 14-15 October at the Pomegranate Theatre in Chesterfield where four different schools stage four different half hour plays each night.

On the weekend of the 16-17th October, the Great Peak District Fair will take place at the Pavilion Gardens, Buxton.  This premier event celebrates the best of art, craft, food & drink from the Peak District.

The Big Draw is an annual, month-long season of drawing activities running from 1-31 October across the county.  Bolsover Festival of Brass takes place in South Normanton and Pinxton on the 3rd of October.  The Matlock Bath Illuminations takes place every evening through September and October.  Visit the Derwent Gardens every Saturday and Sunday evening from 7pm for family entertainment, illuminated boats, for promenades along the riverside and fish and chips on a bench!

The Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site Discovery Days weekend runs 23-31 October where you can explore millworker’s cottages, see steam rallies, watch films, attend lectures and learn more about Derbyshire’s own World Heritage Site along the Derwent Valley.

And finally, there is a whole host of new events as well as the return of favourites from previous Festivals, including concerts in the ‘Crooked Spire’ Church, a lecture by Martin Bell at the Winding Wheel, a living history event featuring the Vikings at Chesterfield Museum, a treasure hunt, ghost walks and much much more at the 7th  Chesterfield Arts and Market Festival (28th-30th Oct).  The Chesterfield Lantern Parade on Saturday night will start from Rykneld Square and parade through the town to the Festival Firework Finale in the Garden of Light, bringing light to the darker nights and the onset of winter.

 

Summer of Dance at Buxton Opera House

In the carnival atmosphere created by all these festivals, we've also pulled together a season of Dance at the Buxton Opera House for you to browse through. Take a look at what's on offer and contact the box office to book tickets.

Well Dressings

For some, Derbyshire and summer means visiting the Well Dressings at a variety of locations around the County.  It's a tradition that has been practicised for hundreds of years in some towns and villages, and others have recently revived their tradition of dressing the wells. 

Well Dressers spends hours creating images made from natural materials such as seeds, flower heads, petals, leaves, sheep wool and pieces of bark pressed into damp clay that has been 'puddled' onto wooden boards.  The exact origins of dressings the wells is not known.  Celtic, Roman, Pagan or Christian origins are all claimed by one source or another.  It is certain that well dressings were intended to give thanks for clean water and the resulting displays are stunning.

So, if there's one thing you must do in Derbyshire, it is to visit a well dressing to see the beautiful mosaics.  We've published a calendar of all the wells on display this summer in this special article.

Pictured here is a Tissington Well Dressing, supplied by D Frith of Tissington Hall

The rest of the year

Four-Four time
Held annually in February, the Four-Four Time Festival of Live Music presents a diverse programme of the very best rock, pop, folk, blues, jazz and world music.

Emerge Festival, Shipley Country Park
A bi-annual event, not happening in 2010, but will be back in 2011.

Autumn Peak Festival
The Spring Peak Festival comes back in the late autumn.  Dates for 2010 to be confirmed yet.

Erewash Festival of Light
Erewash host a series of festivals of light over the winter each year including Diwali, the Winter Solstice, Christmas and Chinese New Year Celebrations

Bolsover and Whitwell Lantern Parades
Taking place in December each year, Bolsover and Whitwell host beautiful lantern parades to celebrate the festive season.

Bonnie Prince Charlie Parade
Hosted by Derby in December each year, the unfortunate turn of events for Bonnie Prince Charlie are remembered with an impressive parade and battle re-enactments.