Get ready for Batley Festival fun

Batley Festival is back and bigger than ever.

This year’s festival, on Saturday September 21, promises to build on the success of last year’s event and unite the community with a day of family fun.

From 11am-4pm, Batley’s market place, town hall, library and memorial gardens will offer free activites and entertainment, from karate workshops to amazing acrobatics, live music and dance, and fun street theatre.

Britain’s Got Talent impressionist Craig Harper will compere the day before Batley’s Variety 2013 in the town hall in the evening.

In the market place, performances from Indian dance group Manasamitra, Kirklees Music School, band Raspberry Tortoise and more will keep the crowds entertained.

The memorial gardens will also offer entertainment from the Pif Paf acrobats, clown workshops, birds of prey and the Batley Festival Sporting Challenge – with rowing, football cricket and more.

In the town hall, revellers can enjoy moves from the Justify Move Dance Academy, Batley Rock and Roll Club, West Yorkshire Drama Academy and a tea dance.

And at Batley Library and Art Gallery, visitors can find inspiration with the Gujurati Writers Forum, say ‘ee bah gum’ with the Yorkshire Dialect Group and check out the Batley Junior News project and a gallery of Batley Festival on Tour photographs (as featured in last week’s News).

The Batley Twittery Prize and Batley Poets and Painters will also be on display.

Batley’s community groups will also be out in force, including Batley Amateur Thespian Society, Batley Community Alliance, Batley History Group, Birstall in Bloom, Girlguiding Batley, Kirklees Film Makers, the Indian Muslim Welfare Society and more.

The groups will be joined by charities and local firms to man stalls.
And the day’s celebrations will be rounded off with Batley’s Variety 2013 in the town hall at 7.30pm, showcasing local performers.

Last year’s Batley’s Got Talent winner Crystal Cowban will take to the stage, as well as Songsational, Batley Girls’ High School, the Acorn Theatre Company and many more.

Tickets for the show cost £5 (£2.50 concessions).

To book call 01924 326050 or visit kirklees.gov.uk/townhalls/boxoffice.

Back for a second year, the volunteer-led Batley Festival will take over the town square for some family fun.