AN URBAN farm in East Oxford will welcome hundreds of families tomorrow for its annual autumnal celebration.

The Oxford City Farm team will be showcasing the fruits of another busy year, with water and electricity finally connected at the site during the summer.

There will be a packed programme from 11am until 4pm of events and food and drink provided by Taste Tibet, Waste2Taste, Coopers BBQ, Pizza Midwife and nearby pub Jolly Postboys will be providing a bar.

There will also be a wide array of stalls on the farm site, including beekeeping with a bee trail and quiz.

Visitors will have the chance to tour the farm and see some of the farm animals while other activities will include apple pressing and face painting.

Produce from the farm, particularly pumpkins, will also be on sale.

Music will be performed by local groups including The Deadbeat Apostles, Band of Hope, Oxford Ukeleles and the Sea Green Singers.

Sally Mullard, from the farm team, said organisers were excited to see the event return, adding: “It was such a lovely community event last year.

“This year we are going to be celebrating the bees with a new information trail and quiz.

“There will be great music, lovely local food, farm animals, apple pressing, the Jolly Postboys bar and information from some of our best local food and wildlife initiatives.”

It comes a year after £12,000 was raised by the community to fund the farm, which was dreamt up a decade ago as a way to educate people about food production and promote healthy living.

Based at Cornwallis Road, near Florence Park, the community team finally signed a 40-year lease on their East Oxford home last February.

City farm chairman Lucie Mayer said: "Things are really moving forward and it's all down to the amazing work of our volunteers and the support of the community."

A planning application was approved by the city council in June to allow the group to build a toilet block, sheltered outdoor kitchen and temporary office at the site.

Work is set to start later on the project later this month.

As things come together on the farm, there has been an increase in community projects that volunteers can offer.

From August vegetables grown at Oxford City Farm are being used by The Jolly Postboys to make its soups, with the profits going back into funding the community site.

Sixth formers at Iffley Academy are also now regular visitors at the site, getting stuck in with growing workshops.

Ms Mayer said the farm also had other 'exciting things in the pipeline'.

Entry is free for the autumn festival but the team will be collecting donations on the day towards buildings and fencing.

For more visit oxfordcityfarm.co.uk.