Scarborough Streets festival aims to attract wider range of visitors

Phileas Fogg will be one of the attractions at the Scarborough Streets festival

A coastal town in North Yorkshire will stage a free festival to encourage a more diverse range of people to visit.

Scarborough Streets festival, which includes outdoor performances, workshops and murals, will take place over the Bank Holiday weekend of 4 to 6 May.

It is part of the Scarborough Fair cultural initiative, a year-round programme of events.

North Yorkshire Council said it would attract a "wider audience" to the town.

Jo Ireland assistant director for culture and leisure said they were delighted to bring the free event to the town.

"Following on from Scarborough Lights, this latest event is part of our plan to place the town at the heart of the cultural and artistic calendar," she said.

"It is about bringing the arts to the people and making them accessible for all.

"We have a wealth of talent in North Yorkshire and combining this with some of the best national and international acts will make for an unmissable experience."

The Green Fingered Gals will be another act to feature in the festival

Some of the performers at the festival will include an act about Phileas Fogg, the classic character from the Jules Verne novel Around the World in Eighty Days, and also Beetlebug, a musician with more than 100,000 followers on social media.

Elsewhere, there will be outdoor murals across the town, including a stylised map of Scarborough opposite the railway station and a piece called Celebrating Diversity at the Falsgrave Community Resource Centre, in Seamer Road.

The council's head of tourism Gemma Rio said: "Scarborough Fair is aimed at showcasing what is one of our most popular destinations to an even wider audience."

She said the range of events being offered throughout the year aimed to "build on Scarborough's huge appeal".

"It is hoped that more people will come to visit the town over the coming months to enjoy what is on offer, and also help to support the local economy."