1. Blacon Festival
Blacon Festival takes place on the Queen Elizabeth Fields from 11am-3pm on Saturday starting with all of the Blacon schools parading down Blacon Avenue with the theme of 50 years of Blacon youth. There will be a National Guide Dogs for the Blind demonstration, cheerleaders, Vikings re-enactment, Parade in Paradise performance, A Handbag of Harmonies, zumba demonstration, children's entertainment, Army assault course, circus skills workshop and much more. Click here to see a picture gallery from last year's event.
2. Alice in Wonderland exhibition
A major Alice in Wonderland exhibition to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the much loved Lewis Carroll book opens at Chester Cathedral on Saturday and runs until August 30. The free exhibition will spread throughout the cathedral, transforming the historic building into a land of exciting enchantment where visitors can discover various scenes in its ancient nooks and crannies. The displays were created by professional set designer Judith Croft who has worked for Clwyd Theatr Cymru and the Chester Mystery Plays. Call 01244 500963 or visit www.chestercathedral.com. Click here to see a gallery of pictures from the Christmas Narnia exhibition at the Cathedral.
3. Family Saturdays
Family Saturdays at the Amphitheatre from noon-4pm start with Space Invaders. Launch into this year's events by getting dressed up in your best astronaut or alien costume. Prepare to lift off into outer space and have lots of fun with activities that are out of this world! With a mountain of glitter, glue, fancy paper and some crazy ideas, the Chester Performs team have been planning some super crafts and activities to keep you busy all summer long. Spend the afternoon enjoying the sunshine, meeting new friends, lazing in deckchairs or at the toddler crawl space, hanging out in the reading area, building sandcastles at the pop-up beach and even try your hand at some circus skills. And it wouldn't be Family Saturdays without a big suitcase packed with fancy dress and props ready for you to snap a selfie! And what's more, it's all free! Visit www.mbnaguide.co.uk/familysaturdays for details.
4. Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre
The enormously popular theatre season in the park returns for a sixth year in Chester with another superb line-up consisting of Romeo and Juliet, The Wind in the Willows and The Merry Wives of Windsor. It all starts on Friday at 7.30pm with William Shakespeare's timeless tale of star crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet which can also be seen on Saturday at 2.30pm and 7.30pm and Sunday at 4.30pm. Every show is listed in our online What's On section and you would be wise not to leave it too long to book tickets as many of the performances between now and August 23 are already sold out. For more on the season click here and for an interview with Romeo and Juliet star Jessica Clark click here. Call 0845 241 7868, visit www.grosvenorparkopenairtheatre.co.uk or drop into Chester Visitor Information Centre.
5. Habeus Corpus
Chester Theatre Club present Alan Bennett's fast paced, farcical comedy on Saturday at 7.30pm which will bring the curtain down on the current season at the Little Theatre in Gloucester Street. It runs until July 11. The play, set in Brighton’s well-to-do district of Hove, takes a wry look at the sexual revolution of the 1960s and its effects on the Wicskteed family - the seemingly respectable but sex obsessed GP Dr Arthur Wicksteed, his sexually frustrated wife Muriel and their hypochondriac son Dennis plus a whole host of other stereotypical, larger than life characters including the lecherous and appropriately named vicar, Canon Throbbing, and the Wicksteed’s charlady Mrs Swabb. Unwanted amorous advances, mix-ups and mistaken identities make for a wonderfully riotous romp in the finest tradition of British comedy. Tickets £8.50 with £7 concessions available for the performances on the first Saturday and Monday and Tuesday evenings and can be booked on 0333 663366 (booking fee applies) or online at www.chestertheatreclub.co.uk. For more on this production, click here. And find out more about the theatre club's next season by clicking here.
6. Delamere Forest concerts
The annual Forestry Commission concerts are usually sell-outs and the line-up this year features one of the biggest names in the event's history as chart-topping, larger than life singer Paloma Faith takes to the stage on Friday. Saturday sees the visit of one of British music's brightest young prospects Tom Odell supported by the equally promising Rae Morris. And Sunday will feature a performance by Manchester rock veterans James. Call 03000 680400, or buy online at www.forestry.gov.uk/music. For more details, click here.
7. Saughall Hoedown
The Saughall Hoedown takes place at Kings Acre from noon-11pm on Saturday featuring The Slippery Hill Boys, Dead Pixels, Campfire Social, John Coley, Kevin Critchley, The Deportees, The Reminisce, Glaaswalkers, Acoustak, Operation Lightfoot, Northern Outlaws and David Watson plus hog roast, cakes, camping and local ales. Email saughallhoedown@hotmail.com. All proceeds to Saughall Scout Hut Fund.
8. Chester Choir Day
Northgate Festivals present Choir Day at Alexander’s, Rufus Court from 12.30pm on Sunday. More than 400 voices will perform on two stages in Abbey Green and Rufus Court led by Theatre in the Quarter’s artistic director Matt Baker who will act as compere for the day. Featuring A Handbag of Harmonies, Signature, a five piece all female vocal group, show choirs from Liverpool, including the Royal Court Theatre Choir, The Liverpool Royal Hospital Staff Choir and H’Arts and Voices and Ellesmere Port’s well loved Fireflies Choir. The dynamic choir Vocalize from North Wales will be performing as well as a number of relatively new choirs to the Chester scene including Tattenhall Singers and Hoole Community Choir. A particular highlight will be the Queen’s award winning Dee Sign Choir. Also showcasing two youth choirs and two musical youth theatre groups. Two brand new pieces of musical street theatre will be showcased by Jigsaw Music Theatre and a brand new youth theatre for Blacon. The Choir Day will begin with a mass vocal warm up at 12.30pm on the Abbey Green stage before the choirs and performers fill the two stages. At 6pm Matt will lead a mass singalong in Abbey Green, where hundreds of people are expected to take part. Admission free. Call 01244 340005 or visit www.alexanderslive.com. For more details, click here.
9. Frodsham Downhill Run
The ever popular downhill run takes place at Frodsham Community Centre in Fluin Lane on Sunday, sponsored by Frodsham and District Round Table, at 12.30pm. Registration 11am-12.15pm at Forest Hills Hotel Car Park, Bellemonte Road. Entry forms at the centre or online at centre.frodcomm.org.uk. Limited to 250 runners.
10. Chester Cathedral concert
Long may she reign! - a concert in Chester Cathedral takes place on Saturday at 7.30pm featuring The Chester Cathedral Choir and the Eighteenth Century Concert Orchestra directed by Philip Rushforth with Benjamin Chewter (organ). Programme includes Handel’s Coronation Anthems. Tickets £15, £12.50 and £8 children £5.
