FAIRGROUND rides, live music and a multitude of stalls promise to make Darlington’s biggest market event well worth a visit this week.

The Summer Market starts on Thursday (August 14) and will fill the town with a variety of music and entertainment for all the family, along with a motorcycle show and live bands in the Market Square on Sunday.

Market stalls from all over the world will be selling a wide variety of goods and produce throughout the town centre, while Darlington’s local radio station, Star, will be playing music to entertain the crowds.

Street entertainers will perform around the town centre and other attractions include a dealers’ car show and children’s fairground rides.

Councillor Nick Wallis, Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet member for leisure, welcomed the return of the event and said: “The Summer Market attracts traders and visitors from across the region and is an annual highlight for Darlington town centre.

“Not only will there be an excellent selection of high-quality goods, but lots of outstanding entertainment for the whole family to enjoy.”

For the second year running The Forum music centre are getting involved to bring an afternoon of live music to the Summer Market.

A stage will be set in the Market Square on Sunday and between 11am and 3pm it will give a platform for local talent to wow the crowds.

Five bands are set to perform; Apex, Silent Houses, Astoma, Vito and Goy Boy McIIroy, and between them they will cover a broad spectrum of musical styles from progressive rock, to indie, to electronic pop and acoustic melodies.

June Daly of The Forum urged residents to go along and support the town’s musicians.

She said: “We are always trying to get local talent seen and heard but it is really difficult get a crowd for original bands because all people want to see are the tribute bands.

“We see this as a way to get the original bands out there and the local up-and-coming talent; they are quality bands and it is always really frustrating when people don’t come to see them.

“This is a way to get the people of Darlington and surrounding areas to see what kind of talent we have in this town.”

The Summer Market event will run from 9am to 5pm Thursday to Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sunday.