Music, food and crafts at family festival

Tickets to a new family friendly music festival in East Devon are selling fast.

The Altitude Village Festival, which takes place in Blackborough on the weekend of May 20 and 21, will see performances by high profile local and regional bands, including Sound of the Sirens, Bristol reggae band Talisman and Mark Morriss of The Bluetones.

As well as music, there will be children’s entertainment, crafts, and a huge range of street food and drink. The event is being held to raise funds for local charities, including Blackborough Village Hall.

With around 1,000 people expected to attend over the weekend, the festival is building on the success of last year’s inaugural event, which raised more than £5,000.

Event organiser Phil Doodson, said they had been thrilled with the success of last year’s event.

He added: ‘Altitude has been a success on various levels; not only did it raise substantial funds, it also drew the local community together and was a reminder that when people come together then good things can happen”.’

Altitude will feature bands from both Devon and further afield, with the likes of Talisman coming from Bristol and Slombers Woke from the Isle of Wight. Altitude has support from BBC Introducing in Devon, with slots on the round table show on April 30.

Alongside the variety of music acts, the festival is offering a range of workshops for children - including dance, graffiti and circus skills. Reiki and reflexology taster sessions are also available for those who require a little TLC from all the dancing.

Tickets for the weekend cost £25 for an adult, £10 for a child with camping available at £20 per pitch. Tickets are available from Kentisbeare Post Office or via the festival website at www.altitudedevon.wordpress.com

You can follow festival updates on their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/AltitudeVF/ or Twitter @AltitudeVF or visit the website for a round-up of all the acts and sellers.