CAERPHILLY’s Little Cheese Festival will return to the town centre for its second year in September as development works in Caerphilly Castle continue.

The county borough council announced the Little Cheese last year as an alternative to the popular Big Cheese Festival, with development works being carried out in the castle to continue until next summer.

The festival will take place on Saturday, September 2, and Sunday, September 3, in Caerphilly town centre, with an abundance of food, crafts, drinks, and a special food and drink court in Twyn car park.

Event organisers promise that this year’s event will be bigger and better than last year’s event, with Big Macs Wholly soul band and The Pandas announced as headlining acts.

The event sees the return of the Little Cheese Race, a funfair, more stalls, a large entertainment area, and a historic re-enactment around the town centre and grass area to the rear of Caerphilly Castle.

Around town, several music areas will be throughout Cardiff Road and Castle Court Shopping Centre, and a central stage in Twyn Car Park.

There will also be designated drinking zones throughout the town centre, local hospitality businesses will extend their seating areas and form the designated drinking zones primarily.

Twyn Car Park will also accommodate several food and bar concessions and form the central hub of the event.

On Saturday the drinking area within Twyn Car Park will remain open until 8pm, with last orders at 7.30pm. All alcohol consumed in all zones will be in plastic glasses only.

Last orders for all the other outdoor drinking zones will be 4.30pm on both days, with all crowds off the site by 5pm (don't worry - there's plenty of pubs in the area).

Opening times of the event are Saturday, September 2, from 9am-8pm, and from Sunday, September 3 from 9 am-5 pm.

Road closures

Cardiff Road, Twyn Road, and Castle Street (northbound carriageway only) will be closed from 9pm on Friday, September 1, until 9pm on Sunday, September 3.

The one-way system on St Fagan’s Street will be removed during the road closure between its junction with Bradford Street and Cardiff Road.

Bus Routes

Bus stops and routes affected by the closure will be moved to the main interchange and an alternate route along Clive Street, Ludlow Street, and Crescent Road will operate.

Residential Access

Residents who live on St Fagan’s Street will have parking/garage space to the rear of their properties on Park Lane, with passes being issued for access during the event.

Twyn School can be used for parking during the event opening hours each day if required and if in receipt of a pass.

To facilitate a safe passage for delivery vehicles for Iceland, Nicola Downie Florist, and Sports Direct through Windsor Street North Urban Lane, residents are requested to keep this lane free of vehicles during the event period.

There will be a prohibition of waiting and loading in this lane from 5pm on Friday, September 1, until 9pm on Sunday, September 3.

Retailers that do not have rear lane access on the road closure area on Cardiff Road should arrange deliveries required for the event weekend to be made prior to 9pm on September 1, or between 4.30am to 7am on September 2 and September 3.

No taxis are permitted through the road closure area. Please arrange alternative collection and drop-off sites.