Fingers crossed for fine weather, as The Midsomer Norton Music and Arts Festival returns from 1pm Saturday 3 June.

Of particular local interest is the musical involvement of Midsomer Norton and Somervale School's Club Rock. Led by their Guitar tutor Syd Bull, a variety of acts will be performing. On stage at 1.45pm and 4.45pm the acts playing out include The Gathering, The Redbacks, Out of Order, The Pix, and She's Problematic.

'I met and interviewed all the bands earlier this week for my Friday Midday Magazine show', mentioned Richard Burgess, part of the Midsomer Norton Community Trust team, and Station Manager Somer Valley FM. 'As a music fan, it was heartening to hear how much of an influence rock music from the 1970s onwards is to these talented young students. There's not much music of that genre in the charts currently, but the return of rock 'n' roll stars may not be too far away with our excellent young musicians in our local Somer Valley schools".

None of this would be possible without the support of the Festival sponsors; Bath College, Curo, Mendip and District Round Table, Midsomer Norton Town Council and for the first time this year, Lit Fibre. Dan Budd, Community Engagement Manager, was pleased to be involved. "Come along and see us on our stall. We can talk you through the experience of internet done properly with Lit Fibre! Our reliable broadband offers ultrafast speeds, exceptional customer support, and transparent packages tailored just for you. We don't believe in mid-contract price hikes and instead reward loyalty with fantastic deals and offers. Plus, our Customer Support team are humans, not robots! Wave goodbye to price hikes and say hello to internet done properly." If we're very lucky, Dan may produce his ukulele.

And for the foodies, there's plenty of choice within the food village catering area. As well as all the great local High Street traders just a short walk from event, there are some fabulous catering options on site.

Burger Bus is a Bristol-based street food company run by Steve Brand, a five-year street food veteran. Steve started on markets in 2015, under the trading name Buckland Venison – an artisan wild meat company based near Frome, in Somerset. Smokehouse on the Hill will be serving up smoked chicken and pork with vegan and veggie options too. For lighter bites and snacks there's The Crumporium, offering buttered crumpets with delicious toppings. If you're in the mood for Mac 'n' Cheese, Hog Roasts or some loaded nachos, The Roaming Deli, well known to locals, will be serving from their picturesque horse-box stall. And you can grab some cakes with Pretty Baked!

The Outfield Festival team will be running the bar. With their strong experience and brilliant Festival returning in August 2023, they know well how to keep everyone hydrated. Salvatore's Ice Cream will be on hand for some cooler treats too. There will also be Cafe2U on site to keep everyone going with coffee throughout the day.

Underpinning the family-fun feel, for the youngsters there's inflatable fun as Bouncers are bringing a bouncy castle as well as an inflatable slide, whilst the wonderful Hayley Spiller will be on site, Face Painting. The Arts Tent will have workshops, exhibitions, and spray paint demos.

Keep the date in your diary – 1pm Saturday 3 June 2023.