BANBURY has a wealth of annual festivals and events. Banbury's Hobby Horse Festival celebrates the town famous nursery rhyme Ride a Cock Horse with three days of celebrations in the town centre and People's Park, Friday, July 6, to Sunday, July 8.

As part of the programme on Sunday is the Town Mayor's Sunday - a traditional day of entertainment for all the family which includes parade of beasts, dancing, beer tent, comic cockhorse races for adults and children, sideshows, fairground rides, teas, children's fancy dress on cockhorses.

For information, visit the website: www.hobbyhorsefestival.co.uk This year Banbury Town Council is ressurecting The Produce Show, on Sunday, September 9, in the town hall.

There has been a lapse of a few years since residents, allotment holders and organisations could display the fruits of their labour, but the organisers are hoping the revival will spark a lot of interest around the town.

A Royal Horticultural Society judge is booked for the day and willing experts have put themselves forward for the tasting competitions.

The categories are fruit and vegetables, cut flowers and potted plants, flower arrangements, jams and cakes, children's variety section (home-grown produce, cake making, paper crafts, painting and sewing. For more information and application packs, call 01295 250340.

In October, the Banbury Canal Day is a recent addition to the calendar as a day out for all the family. Find yourself a parrot and fly the Skull and Crossbone because this year the theme is pirates.

Sponsored by Chiltern Railways, Canal Day falls on Sunday, October 7, and attractions includes boat trips, steam fair, falconry displays, horse and cart rides, an Italian market, Hook Norton beer tent, and craft and trade stalls.

Prizes will be given out for the best decorated pirate boats and stalls, and there's a fancy dress competition for all young would-be pirates. For more information, call 01295 817312 or visit the website: www.banburycanalday.co.uk Canal Day falls on the same weekend as the three-day Ride a Cock Horse Folk Festival.

On the Sunday of the action-packed weekend, the two events join together, with folk performers entertaining the canal enthusiasts.

For information about who will be playing, visit the website: www.rideacockhorse.co.uk/festivalnews In November, the Christmas lights switch-on is the last of the year's big days out.

Sponsored by local businesses, the event is a whole day of entertainment that builds up to the switching on of the town's Christmas lights - usually by a star guest.

Radio Horton presenters compere a stage programme of local talent that builds up to the exciting climax.

The Banbury Beer Festival in April is a self-explanatory event that should not be missed by lovers of real ale.

With around 40 different beers from which to to chose, the festival, at the Territorial Army Centre in Oxford Road, is always well attended.

May Day is usually celebrated in the town with traditional attractions, including morris men, maypole dancing. music and a children's fancy dress procession.

Out of town, the annual big event is the Cropredy Festival which attracts folk fans from all over the world. The village is a few miles north of Banbury, and for a weekend in August it becomes a Mecca for music followers, with around 20,000 devotees making the annual pilgrimage to the venue.

This year (August 9 to 11) is already a sell-out and it has attracted so many American fans that the bands have had to add extra performances.

For information and tickets, visit the website: www.fairportconvention.com/cropredy Cornbury Festival (July 7 and 8), staged in the grounds of Cornbury Park near Charlbury, is the new kid on the festival block, but is growing rapidly.

This will be its fourth incarnation, and looks set to be the biggest yet with stars such as Blondie, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Waterboys, David Gray, The Feeling, Seth Lakeman, Scott Matthews and The Proclaimers all confirmed.

For tickets, call 0871 472 0420 or visit the website: www.cornburypark.co.uk