A POPULAR festival is back for its 21st year.

Caerphilly’s Big Cheese will take over Caerphilly Castle this weekend, with more than 80,000 people expected to join the celebrations.

The free festival kicks off at 3pm on Friday, with a funfair featuring 45 rides open until 10pm, and the Great Cheese Race starting at 6.30pm.

Fancy dress is encouraged for the relay race, in which team members will pass cheese stretchers - adorned with replica cheese truckles - between them as they run their lap.

This traditional race will run through the main event site, over the bridge - constructed specially for the festival - and back to the main site.

Performances on the festival’s music stage will start at 6pm today, with a fireworks display taking to the skies at 10pm.

Big Cheese has a whole range of activities and events taking place over the weekend, until 9pm on Sunday.

Throughout the festival there will be 27 performances by local bands, choirs and singers including headliner’s Big Macs Wholly Soul Band.

Plus, history will be brought to life on the scenic grounds of Britain’s second largest castle, with five groups re-enacting battles from centuries long gone.

As the name suggests, the legen-dairy cheese market will return to the festival, among the 70 food and drink stalls that will offer a variety of local and regional food. Last year, Llanfaes Dairy sold 1,700 ice-creams at the event.

More than 100 stalls, offering good and services, will be scattered around the site, and - as if the festival wasn’t jam-packed enough - there will be animal encounters and educational activities for the little ones to enjoy.

Parking shouldn’t be an issue, as more than 1,500 car passes are issued each year and thousands using their Park & Ride facility, which connects car parks with public transport to ease congestion.