KEIGHLEY Festival will host the town centre’s first 1940s Day as part of this year’s six-day jamboree.

The wartime nostalgia event on Church Green on July 11 is being arranged by the Forteas Cafe in nearby North Street.

The Home Front-themed cafe is one of several Keighley businesses and organisations that have signed up to run festival events.

Central Hall will host a unique theatre show entitled Gameplan Keighley that will see the entire audience play a part in the performance.

Performance-art group Fluxx will bring together professional actors and local amateurs for the production on July 10.

The Airedale shopping centre is organising a week-long ‘mums and tots’ mini-festival in featuring Scrap Magic, Punch and Judy, and the Happycat and Dolly Show.

The three events will join established headline activities such as the school’s Big Day Out at East Riddlesden Hall on July 7, and the One Amazing Night children’s show at Victoria Hall on July 9.

A Children’s Film Festival will be held for the first time, building on the success of last year’s screening of a movie filmed by Keighley primary school children.

Keighley Festival will this year run from July 6 to 11 with funding from Bradford Council and Keighley Town Council.

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Festival organiser Malcolm Hanson promised an impressive line-up for this year’s extravaganza, with more than 30 shows and functions already confirmed.

He said: “There are many more at the planning stage, and this showcase of local talent is set to eclipse all previous festivals.

“This year there will be many ‘flagship’ events leading a whole raft of smaller functions.

“More events and functions are being lined up from week to week and hopefully by the end of May the entire festival line up will be completed.”

The Boltmakers Arms will present a week of live music and quizzes, and tea dances will take place at Keighley Civic Centre and the Airedale Centre.

The popular Sangat Centre ‘curry night’ has added a second night while Jam On Top recording studios will host their annual open day and arrange “something special” for the final day in the Airedale Centre.

The Big Day Out at East Riddlesden Hall will build on the huge success of last year’s inaugural event, offering performance art, arts and crafts exhibitions, den building, hall tours and history talks.

Anyone interested in organising events for the festival should e-mail malcolm.b.hanson@gmail.com or call Malcolm on 01756 798730.