THE BIGGEST food festival in Wales is returning for its twentieth year.

Abergavenny Food Festival 2018 will kick off from 9.30am on Saturday, going on until 6pm, with a Night Market between 6pm and 11pm.

Events at Abergavenny Castle will be between 9.30am and 6pm, with a Party at the Castle from 7.30pm until 11pm, which requires an additional ticket.

On Sunday, there will be events and activities at the markets and castle, from 9.30am until 5pm.

There will be plenty on offer, with more than 100 guest speakers and more than 250 of the finest food and drinks producers included in the programme.

Plus, there will be a range of activities for food lovers, including stalls, product tasting, demonstrations, cookery classes and debates.

The Party at the Castle will celebrate the festivals 20th birthday and will feature live music from the Son Yambu Cuban Salsa Band and the Black Kat Boppers.

There will be fireworks and dancing, with delicious food and on offer, including prosecco and tapas from Belazu. Tickets for this event, which does not allow young children due to reduced lighting and uneven ground, are £20 plus a booking fee.

The Night Market, hosted at Lower Brewery Yard, will have a huge variety of street food and cocktails on offer, along with live music and entertainment.

It can be accessed by people with a Saturday or weekend wristband, or tickets are £5.

The festival is popular, attracting more than 30,000 people each year, but since it is a small town it is recommended to use public transport, if possible.

Abergavenny train station is a five to ten-minute walk to the Festival and will have Festival Crew available to assist with directions, and the bus station is a five-minute walk to the Festival’s entrance.

Alternatively, guests can carpool as there are only 3,000 parking spaces available.

There are two car parks available for festival-goers, costing £4 per vehicle, which will be manned by volunteers who will receive 50 percent of parking revenue.

Castle Meadows car park and Bailey Park car park, which are both field based, will be open between 8am and 8pm, with the gates locked at 10pm.

Guests can either purchase tickets for individual events happening throughout Abergavenny or get wristbands, which will give them access to the entire site.

Wristbands and tickets can be purchased in advance, or on the day, but will need to be collected from one of the four box offices on site.

These will be opposite St John’s Square in Castle Street car park, at the bottom of Cross Street by the bus station, at the entrance to the Tiverton Producers’ Market, and at the entrance to Abergavenny Castle.

Children under 16 can go for free, but they must be accompanied by an adult.

There is 15 percent discount for group bookings of 10 people or more. To arrange a group booking contact lotti@abergavennyfoodfestival.com

Local residents, with an NP7 postcode, can get 20 percent discount on wristbands. This can be done online, using the promo code ‘LOCAL’ or in person, at Borough Theatre, providing they bring proof of address.

Market Street will also feature a Festival Information and Merchandise Point, near the entrance Upper Brewery Yard and at Abergavenny Castle.

Animals are not allowed, excluding assistance dogs, and those attending consent to potentially being included in promotional material as members of the audience.

Visitors will be removed from the site if they exhibit dangerous or drunk and disorderly behaviour.

For full details of the festival visit www.abergavennyfoodfestival.com or for any enquires contact Lotti Jones on 01873 851643 or email lotti@abergavennyfoodfestival.com