New Weymouth festival could be signature event, say organisers

The festival is being organised in aid of Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance

Organisers are due to flesh out plans for a new festival which they hope could become their "signature event".

Weymouth and Portland Round Table hope SummerFest will become an annual fixture if the first event in June is a success.

It is being held at Redlands Leisure and Community Park on the same day as the FA Cup final and it will show the game live on a big screen.

Organisers hope 5,000 people will attend.

Chair of Weymouth and Portland Round Table, Adam Luckhurst, said putting on the festival had "been at the back of our minds collectively for some time".

"We used to run the carnival successfully in the late 80s and early 90s but after that it wasn't what it once was," he said.

"Depending on how this goes, it could become our signature event and put us back on the map."

It is being held at Redlands Leisure and Community Park

The free family festival on 3 June will feature a children's football tournament, local bands, a farmer's market, classic cars, hot air balloon rides and a grand firework display.

"It is free but we're raising money for Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance, we also want to buy a couple of defibrillators for the harbour," Mr Luckhurst added.

Clive Nelson, from the venue operators Active Dorset, said Redlands was the size of 12-football pitches.

"We're meeting next week to discuss where everything will go," he said.

He added the car park at Redlands would be used for disabled parking, with others encouraged to use the town's park and ride.

He acknowledged "congestion is an issue" at the site but said he would be talking to local residents.