Vintage event to transform town centre

The Market Place will transform for one day into a haven for T-birds, motorheads and hipsters on Saturday between 10am-4pm.

Vintage stalls, an American food diner and music stage prepped for acts such as Lula and the Bebops, Backstep Boogie Club and Songsational will line the town streets.

The event is being funded with a £5,000 pot put forward by Kirklees Council on the condition that it encourages an increased footfall in the town.

The Mayor of Kirklees, Coun Paul Kane, will appear at the event. He said: “We’ve had these funds for 18 months but we wanted to do something a little bit spectacular.”

The event was inspired by similar events that have worked nearby, such as Batley Vintage Day.

“I just want people to come because you don’t get funding like this that often.

“We’re going to have a dove release, which is symbolic about our communities working together.”

Coun Kane would like to see people staying in the town to socialise after the event finishes.

And he hopes that it will show Dewsbury in a more positive light than it has been seen in the past.

Longcauseway will be closed to all traffic between 7am and 7pm on the day.

The Yorkshire Thoroughbred Car Club will be displaying impressive period motors.

Food will be available from an American School Bus Diner, serving the traditional food from the USA.

There will also be hour-long heritage walking tours of the town centre at both 11am and 2pm, starting from Dewsbury town hall and ending at Dewsbury Minster.

Youngsters can have their face painted, and there will be a competition for the best-dressed boy and girl.