Oxfordshire is home to some great summer music festivals, and one of the longest-running is Fairport’s Cropredy Convention, which this year takes place on August 12-14.

Apart from the usually very eclectic line-up, it is the friendly vibe that brings people back to this small north Oxfordshire village for a weekend in the country year after year. Step into this field of dreams and you receive the warmest of welcomes.

Whether you are a Cropredy novice or an old-timer, you will soon feel part of the family — which explains why some people treat this one weekend in August as a holiday. And it is one of the few festivals where punters can mix freely and chat with musicians and performers — at the bar or in the crowd. It is a weekend of music that always creates indelible memories.

Writer, broadcaster and campaigner Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage Canteen will be feeding thousands of festival-goers at Cropredy this year. As well as selling organic and locally-sourced food throughout the three-day event, the River Cottage team will stage a series of food-themed workshops to pass on their knowledge of the garden, kitchen and hedgerow to young festival goers. Hugh won’t be at Cropredy himself but other familiar faces from the TV shows will attend the event.

The festival’s roots go back to the mid-1970s when two Fairport Convention members Dave Pegg and Dave Swarbrick moved to Cropredy. This led to Fairport playing fundraising gigs for the village during the 1970s, in the gardens of Prescott Manor, the home of former Labour government minister Dick Crossman. In 1979, Fairport Convention decided to cease touring, but a year later the band staged a one-day reunion concert in the village. This was so successful that it developed into an annual event. The early festivals in Cropredy attracted first hundreds, then thousands of fans.

Real ale is also very much a feature of the festival. Wadworth Brewery of Devizes provides the huge festival bar and the village's two pubs also do a roaring trade. Both put on ‘Cropredy Fringe’ events featuring live music from local bands. Fairport's Cropredy Convention offers great value for money — in fact, it is one of the cheapest three-day festivals of its kind.

There is a substantial discount for early booking, camping is inexpensive and under-12s get in for free.

Headliners at Cropredy this year include Status Quo, Bellowhead, Easy Star All-Stars, Rick Wakeman and the English Rock Ensemble and, of course Fairport Convention, who will provide their star-studded festival closing finalé on Saturday night. For more information visit the website: www.fairportconvention.com

A relative newcomer to the Oxfordshire music festival scene is the Cornbury Festival, held in the elegant grounds of Cornbury Park, near Charlbury. Legendary American rocker Jackson Browne and the equally legendary Dr John have been confirmed as headline performers at the festival, held over the weekend of July 3-4.

They are supported throughout the weekend by an impressive line up of acclaimed performers including David Gray, The Blockheads, soulful British pop trio Noisettes, Irish jazz sensation Imelda May and acoustic chart-topper Newton Faulkner.

The two-day festival, now in its seventh year, is home to a distinctive mix of Pimms-drinking rockers, aristocrats, fashionistas and farmers who flock to the UK’s most historic festival site for the mix of fabulous food and fantastic music. For more information visit the website: www.cornburyfestival.com

If reggae, soul, hip hop, drum and bass or dub is your thing, then the Out To Graze is the festival for you. Held on June 11-13, at Fir Tree Country Park in Warmington, near Banbury, The Nextmen headline while local talent is represented by Oxford’s roots reggae band Makating. For more information visit the website: www.outtograze.com

The Riverside Festival at Charlbury (June 19-20) is a free family festival now in its 15th year. More than 30 bands will be playing across two stages. Acts include popular Oxford band Borderville, Canadian folk rock singer David Celia and Sheffield’s Dead Like Harry, who have been supporting chart toppers Scouting For Girls on tour. When the live music comes to an end festival-goers can take part in the Ugly Bug Ball, where you wll be able to boogie along to disco favourites to your heart’s content. For more information visit the website: www.riversidefestival.charlbury.com

Cowley Road Carnival, which this year is scheduled to take place on July 3-4, is a popular, community festival that is family friendly with a warm and inclusive atmosphere, it has heavy involvement from the Cowley Road community who spend much of the year designing and building the costumes and floats for the event. If all goes well for the organisers, Cowley Road will be closed to traffic and street performances and a carnival-style procession will take place. More activities will go in at South Parks. For up-to-date news on visit the website: www.cowleyroadcarnival.co.uk

The Henley Festival (July 7-11) is possibly the most sophisticated of the Oxfordshire festivals, a seriously glamorous occasion with world class music where you can enjoy fine art, fine food, comedy, dancing and fireworks.

Starting the week after the town’s famous regatta, The Henley Festival features many styles of music, from classical to rock.

Headliners include big hitters like Will Young, Nigel Kennedy, Symphonic Queen and Ronan Keating. For more details visit the website: www.henley-festival.co.uk

At the other end of the festival spectrum there’s Truck, the county’s coolest music festival, which returns to Hill Farm in Steventon, near Abingdon, on July 23-25.

Mew are set to headline the festival on the Saturday night, with other acts such as Egyptian Hip Hop and Fonda 500. You can also check out some upcoming local acts at The Village Pub with BBC Oxford Introducing.

Festival-goers can buy a special ticket which will allow them to start the fun a night early by camping on the Friday and enjoying a small selection of DJs and possibly bands. For more information visit the website: www.thisistruck.com

If you are a fan of TV time-warping cop show Ashes to Ashes, then the 80s Rewind Festival could be up your street. Taking place in Henley-on-Thames, the 80s Rewind Festival is perfect for retro music lovers.

Rewind has booked some of the biggest names of the 80s to perform. Those expected at the festival include Boy George, Rick Astley, T’Pau, Chesney Hawkes and 10cc. What, no Gene Hunt? For more information visit the website: www.rewindfestival.com

Towersey’s Village Festival (August 26-30) traditionally marks the end of the summer festival season. With five days and seven stages of fun the festival features yet another appearance from Bellowhead. Alongside them you can see likes of Kan, Chris Wood, Andy Cutting and The Dhol Foundation.

As well as the great music, festival-goers can expect a variety of workshops including many different types of dancing and singing.

For more information visit the website: www.towerseyfestival.com

But there is more, Wallingford’s Bunkfest takes place on September 3-5. It regularly features concerts, dance displays, ceilidhs, a beer festival, a huge craft fair and music on river boats and steam trains. You name it! For up-to-date-information on this event visit the website: www.bunkfest.co.uk

Still in the planning stage as we went to press is the Banbury Folk Festival, this year scheduled for October 8-10. For details of tickets and acts visit the website: www.banburyfolkfestival.co.uk

Just over the border in Gloucestershire, it is well worth checking out the annual Wychwood Festival, held at Cheltenham racecourse on June 4-6.

The Lighting Seeds join artists already confirmed for the mainstage on Saturday, Happy Mondays, Toumani Diabaté, Pauline Black of The Selector, Goldheart Assembly, One String Loose and Sleeping with the Fishes.

Oxford’s The Epstein, will be playing the festival’s Big Top on Friday following the release of their highly successful debut album Last of the Charanguistas. The Epstein join already announced bands, Levellers, Justin Currie, The Leisure Society, The Travelling Band, Arcadian Kicks and Tunnelmental Experimental Assembly.

The Sunday line-up includes Seth Lakeman, The South (formerly The Beautiful South), and Adrian Edmondson and The Band Shepherds.