It's Carnival Day in Audlem today

Today in Audlem is Carnival day – it's Audlem's oldest event, dating back to 1812. Be there and enjoy the procession and floats, the dancing troupes and marching bands, the fair, the side shows and the local stalls. It's loads of fun, it's sociable and it's part of the history of Audlem. The Grand procession leaves the field at 1.00pm and can be seen as it travels through the village. The church bells will also ring at 12 noon today for the Village Carnival – a long standing tradition.

The Music & Arts Festival continues too. It's another day of great music in Blues Alley starting with John Gunstone and Carl Blunsdon playing blues piano and sax at 1.00pm. At 2.30pm. Jim Kirkpatrick takes over in Blues Alley. Jim plays all over the world with some of the finest international musicians but is always home in Audlem for Festival time.

At 3.00pm at the Shroppie, Bob & Dave bring their mix of original poetry and music to the canalside whilst 3.30pm sees hard driving thrash punk from Audlem's next generation of musicians, Defense, playing on the open-air stage outside the Methodist Church. They are followed there at 5.00pm by Big Blue House, one of the area's great bands – they will rock away those blues as you start to think what will I do tomorrow with no more Festival music this year!

In the pubs the music plays on with The Lord Combermere featuring Gillie Nicholls, a talented singer/songwriter returning to the Festival. Gillie is followed at 9.00pm by the legendary Audlem weekly Folk Jam. It's normally in the Shroppie but this week it switches to the Combermere.

Because, down at the Shroppie Fly, one of the great highlights of the Festival gets underway at 9.00pm. Jim Kirkpatrick leads the traditional Blues Jam with an amazing array of local and national talent up on stage. Last year's performance is still being talked about. It really is an amazing finale to the Festival and Carnival weekend. You may struggle if you're working on Tuesday, but what a way to finish the weekend.

There's also a wide range of art exhibitions which are running from 10.00am until 4.00pm. They include, in the Methodist Church, Kate Mckenna who is new to the Festival. She is exhibiting water colours which are rich in detail, colour and movement. Alan Leese is showing a number of new works on the theme 'The British on Holiday. Michelle Parr, a woodturner, is exhibiting bowls, plates and decorative items while Janice Bird is showing her original paintings as well as an elaborate display of cards, prints and photographs. The Adderley & Audlem Life Drawing Group, a new village art group, is exhibiting for the first time and this exhibition is eagerly awaited as the group goes from strength to strength.

In St James' Church, Jo Halden presents a mixed media exhibition based on figurative and landscape images while local artist Ellie Johnson shows an eclectic mix of intricate wire worked pieces and an amazing array of hand made jewellery. Jean Crocker returns with her exciting ceramic and metal conceptual pieces. The Potters Barn, a collective from Sandbach, returns to the Festival and will exhibit a range of craft pottery. The collective also offers craft courses so are well worth looking at.

Monday, Carnival Day and the last day of this year's Audlem Festival, is going to be quite a day.

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