Chestival is about to burst on to Chester’s events calendar, becoming the city’s largest festival ever and the catalyst for what will be the best summer the city has ever seen.

With 34 days and 34 nights of music, plays, street theatre, singing, dancing, Romans and Rhinos, Chestival – in association with Bank of America – has something for everyone.

And more than half of the events are free and all of them have a strong family focus.

John Greaves, communications executive at Bank of America, said: “We are delighted to be supporting this new and exciting festival. It’s great to see Chester buzzing with excitement in the run up to Chestival. We hope that people both from the city and beyond come and take part and have fun.”

Chestival is kick-started with the Roman Weekend on June 12–13.

Spread over two days, Chester will be taken back over 19 centuries to AD110 and the height of the Roman age.

The unique event will give visitors and residents the chance to see, hear and feel the excitement and anticipation of how Chester was in Roman times.

On June 16 and 17, there will be a Chester Performs Soapbox performance of The Last Supper at St Mary’s by the Reckless Sleepers.

They will invite you to dinner, to sample the last meal requests of the famous and the not-so-famous.

The Last Supper is part performance, part meal, made up of half-remembered words and the forgotten last requests of inmates on death row.

From June 13-18, Town Criers from as far away as the USA, Holland, France, Belgium, Canada, Australia and New Zealand will be descending on the city to compete in Chester’s World Town Crier Tournament.

During the course of the tournament week, there will be 64 costumed figures parading around Chester making this a spectacular pageant of colour and sound.

One of the UK’s largest community projects will be arriving in Chester from June 17-20 for Chestival’s Chester Mystery Plays in Miniature – Noah’s Flood.

With hundreds of local volunteers, this highly professional performance will be an experience that will capture the hearts of the audience and make them roar with laughter, along with all of the characters.

This will be taking place in the Amphitheatre and will be free.

Chester will be preparing itself for a giant invasion on the weekend of June 18-20, as the Midsummer Watch and BiG Giant Parade arrives in the city.

More than 70,000 residents and visitors are expected to arrive in Chester to see the supersize spectacle, as well as 70 giants from around the UK and Europe.

For those looking for a cultural themed evening then the Audience With… evenings will be just perfect.

From June 21-24, Chester Racecourse will play host to three exciting speakers including Dan Snow from The One Show, Robert Lindsay from hit BBC sitcom, My FamilyŠand the famous Sir Ranulph Fiennes in a first ever Audience With… event.

Each evening will invite guests to find out what motivates and excites the speakers, how they got started, why they love what they do, with an opportunity for guests to ask questions.

For those with a passion for sport and lots of energy, then Bike Week will get those muscles pumping.

Residents will be swapping cars for bikes during the week of Saturday, June 19 to Sunday, June 27 as Bike Week arrives in Chester.

The finale of the week will finish with Cycle Sunday, where families will be encouraged to ‘Get on Their Bikes’ and cycle into Chester for a full day of jaw dropping cycling activities.

Included in the activities will be the BMX Half Pipe displays in Chester Amphitheatre.

An 11ft high half pipe will be built in Chester’s famous amphitheatre and from lunchtime until late afternoon, there will be demonstrations by five of the UK’s top riders with a chance for spectators to take part.

The following weekend will see Chester come under the sporting spotlight once more, as the Charles Stanley British Masters International Showjumping arrives in the city.

Running over the weekend of July 2–4, this exciting event will see more than 50 world class riders jump at Chester, to compete for £120,000 prize money in what will be the newest international and most exciting showjumping competitions to hit the UK.

With a shopping village, children’s rides and the most exhilarating showjumping you could wish to see, come and support British Olympic hopefuls as they jump their way to victory.

The following weekend has a more relaxing vibe as Chester’s Summer Music Festival arrives in the city.

From June 30-July 14, more than 12 spectacular evening concerts, seven lunchtime concerts and one Big Sing!, these themed events will play out to audiences with a whole host of musical tastes.

For 10 weeks during the summer of 2010, from July 5-September 12, Rhino Mania will take over the city.

A herd of up to 70, 5ft high rhinos, each individually designed by local artists, will be on display in what will be the city’s largest ever outdoor art exhibition.

During the event, Rhino Mania will provide a trail through the city, from the river through to the city business park and out to the zoo, through Chester’s neighbourhoods, encouraging thousands of people to follow the colourful stampede.

Director of Chester Festivals, Tracy Lynn, said: “We are hugely excited about the arrival of Chestival in Chester.

“This event is the product of many, many hours of hard work and dedication by hundreds of local people who have come together to make this event what it is.

“I cannot tell you how proud I am that Chester is able to put on an event such as this. No other city in the UK is able to produce an event of this scale and I think it is a real testament to those who live and work in Chester.

“I would like to thank each and every person who has given up their spare time to act in a play, help make a piece of scenery, sing in a performance and to the events teams who have made the build up to Chestival run so smoothly.

“I would also like to say a big thank you to Bank of America, as without their help, Chestival would not have been able to be the wonderful event that is has grown to be.”

For details on how to book for ticketed events during Chestival, visit the website www.chestival2010.co.uk.