'Bard of Barnsley' Ian McMillan for Knaresborough's feva

Next month's huge annual feast of arts and culture in the market town will include everything from a beach rave with DJ Rory Hoy to a BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards-nominated band, not forgetting poet Ian McMillan.

But the "the Yorkshire laureate" is only one highlight of a festival set to offer the widest array of talent and entertainment to date.

First launched in 2011, this year’s festival features 65 different mainline events, plus 16 art shows and 11 special flavours of feva menu offerings from local restaurants.

Held over over 10 days from August 12 to August 21, Tony Cerexhe, chairman of the volunteer organising group, said it was going to be the best yet.

He said: “The festival is as big as ever but this year we have made a special effort to broaden the array of attractions to suit as many tastes as possible.

"Turn every corner in the centre of the town and there will be another event."

A not-for-profit community festival, poetry is one of the big themes for feva next month.

There is a chance for the public to read their own poems or those they especially love at a ‘Poetry Yes Please’ event at the Art in the Mill, while at Henshaws Chris McCully will be reading from a selection of his eight published collections.

Fans of rock music can enjoy the Fleetwood Mac tribute band, Weetwood Mac, at the Knaresborough Working Men’s Club while the ultimate tribute act for David Bowie will appear at the Beach Party at Henshaws Arts and Crafts Centre.

Classics music enthusiasts will enjoy Concertos by Candlelight at St John’s Church courtesy of Knaresborough Pro Musica and the special feva Eucharist will be held on the first Sunday of the festival.

Knaresborough Choral Society are offering people the chance to take part in their singing workshop at the Methodist Church, giving the chance to learn the wonderful Carmina Burana.

Feva committe member Nigel Perry said: "The Knaresborough feva festival grows from strength-to-strength," says Nigel Perry, a member of the organising committee. "The event has grown from humble beginnings in 2000 from what was originally a folk music festival. Today, it emcompasses all types of music, plays, dance performances, art shows, good food and drink, talks, walks and workshops.

"There is nothing quite like feva during the summer school holiday months in Yorkshire and people come from miles around to enjoy the events.

"The fact that so much is free or at low cost gives Knaresborough a great community buzz. This enables us to stage a large number of attractions and there is something happening all the time from 10 in the morning to late at night.

"The festival provides a platform on which local talent - young and old - can experience the thrill of performing, and there is nothing picky or pretentious. Everything is just very good fun."

The Knaresborough Lions are again staging their three-day Beer Festival at Knaresborough House while the popular Saturday Night Burlesque returns to Henshaws.

Copies of the free Programme are available from outlets in Knaresborough, the Tourist Information Office or the Library, with full details on line at www.feva.info