AHEAD of this year's upcoming festival in Corbridge, we looked back at the Midsummer's Evening event.

Villagers enjoy live music and dance, late-night shopping and street food during the celebration, which is held on the Thursday closest to the longest day of the year.

Hexham Courant: Grace enjoyed getting her face painted by Marian's Face Painting in 2022Grace enjoyed getting her face painted by Marian's Face Painting in 2022 (Image: Newsquest)

Organised by Visit Corbridge, it returned for the first time in 2022 since the Covid pandemic, and also featured stalls, alpacas and face painting.

The event in 2022 was held on June 23.

Hexham Courant: Rosemary Rayfield and Cheryl Ross, Corbridge Youth Initiative volunteersRosemary Rayfield and Cheryl Ross, Corbridge Youth Initiative volunteers (Image: Newsquest)

 

Activities were staged throughout the village and most of the local shops stayed open well beyond their usual hours in 2019.

 

Hexham Courant: Natalie Palmer, of Yoga With Natalie, with Holly Hopkinson, of Elysian BotanicalsNatalie Palmer, of Yoga With Natalie, with Holly Hopkinson, of Elysian Botanicals (Image: Newsquest)

More than 5,000 visitors attended the event in 2019, the second highest figure since the evening was first launched in 2014.

Entertainment was provided by the Hexham Morris men and women with dances in the Market Place, while the group Jive Alive also got the crowd dancing.

Hexham Courant: Villagers enjoyed A Midsummer's Evening in 2022Villagers enjoyed A Midsummer's Evening in 2022 (Image: Newsquest)

Haydon Bridge High School’s Sunshine Panners proved a big hit on the steel drums in their tent on Hill Street and brass duo the Ragtime Rascals also performed.

On the music stage, the district’s budding singer-songwriters Sam Shields and Lauren Simms played, as did Richard Ridley, with Earl Grey and the Charlwallahs performing later in the evening.

Hexham Courant: The event in 2022The event in 2022 (Image: Newsquest)

 

A new addition to the event saw the Corbridge Youth Initiative building on Hill Street transformed into a craft attic.

Hexham Courant: (L-R) Carol Moffatt, Rosie Cunningham, Angela Jones and Linda Hunter, at the at the textile and art exhibition at St Andrew's Church(L-R) Carol Moffatt, Rosie Cunningham, Angela Jones and Linda Hunter, at the at the textile and art exhibition at St Andrew's Church (Image: Newsquest)

 

A Midsummer’s Evening coincided with the annual St Andrew’s Church Flower Festival, which attracted more than 3,000 visitors who viewed the numerous floral arrangements over the festival's four days.

Hexham Courant: The event coincided with a textile and art exhibition at St Andrew's ChurchThe event coincided with a textile and art exhibition at St Andrew's Church (Image: Newsquest)

 

This year, A Midsummer's Evening will be held on Thursday, June 22 from 4pm.

Entertainment will include Hexham Morris dancers and The Cherry Pickers band.

 

Hexham Courant: The event coincided with a textile and art exhibition at St Andrew's ChurchThe event coincided with a textile and art exhibition at St Andrew's Church (Image: Newsquest)