AFTER doing their bit for Yorkshire at Le Grand Depart for the Tour de France, Leeds band Hope And Social will be among the big names at FEVA, Knaresborough's community Festival of Entertainment and Visual Arts.

The festival will run from tomorrow until August 17, and the six-piece Leeds band will play on the last day at the Hope And Social Beach Party on the "Urban Beach" at Henshaws’ Arts and Crafts Centre, in Bond End, where the music and mayhem, special guests and even a sand castle or two are promised between 4.30pm and 9pm.

Festival-goers will be able to enjoy the Knaresborough Urban Beach throughout the festival at the (sometimes) tranquil Henshaws, discovering a place of sand, games, loungers, chairs and tables, music and food and drink in the café.

Expect entertainers, fitness classes and ticketed concerts in the evenings; details of each day's entertainment on the beach can be found at feva.info

Veteran folk musician Vin Garbutt will perform on FEVA's opening night, tomorrow at 8pm, at the Frazer Theatre, preceded by the Northern Songbirds at 5.30pm that afternoon at Henshaws.

Lux Aertana, a vocal and choral group of St John's choir members and friends, will perform works by Herbert Howells, Alan Spedding and Charles Wood at St John’s Church on Saturday at 7.30pm.

Knaresborough Players will stage A Slice Of ’64, in celebration of their 50 years at the Frazer Theatre, with two nights of musical theatre and hit songs from 1964 on Saturday and August 16 at 7.30pm.

History Wardrobe will present Women And The Great War, a demonstration of the impact of the First World War on women and fashion in a moving and amusing performance at the Frazer Theatre on Monday at 7.30pm, when the fashions can be examined at first hand.

Queen II will pay tribute to Freddie Mercury and co at Knaresborough Working Men's Club on August 13 at 8pm, while the Strings Gee &T concert at St John's Church on August 16 will bring together Knaresborough ProMusica and international soloist Matthew Gee, principal trombone with the Royal Philharmonic at 7.30pm. Albrechtsberger's Trombone Concerto and string works by Albinoni, Vivaldi, Grainger will be complemented by G & Ts on The HUB terrace at St John's in the interval.

Free daytime and early evening entertainment will be provided in the Market Place throughout the festival, except on Wednesdays; the Knaresborough Lions Club will run their traditional beer festival tomorrow and Saturday; and FEVA's free Picnic in the Park concert will be held in the open air at Knaresborough House on August. 16 from noon to 5pm. Hosted by DJ Trev, the line-up will include Alister's Theory, About Town, MG Band and The Detail. There will be no food or drink stalls, so bring your own picnic.

During FEVA, children can enjoy street entertainers, medieval storytelling and the chance to learn sword-fighting, while festival activities will include scarecrow making, an open day at the allotments, sketching lessons and the Flag and Bone Gang's dance lessons.

Authors will give talks and readings from their works, such as Yorkshire author Peter Robinson launching his latest DCI Banks book, Abattoir Blues, at Knaresborough Library on August 17 at 7pm. If you want to stretch your legs, there will be walks around Knaresborough’s dusty corners, shows, concerts and displays.

Among other names heading for FEVA are a nine-piece jazz combo from Leeds called The Wonderful World Of The Cinema Organ, who will create a live soundtrack to archive cinema and cine-camera footage at Henshaws on August 12 at 8pm with everything but a cinema organ. Americana band The Whiskey Dogs will play the same place, same time, on August 14, but look away now if you might blush at Henshaws' revival of their cheeky burlesque evening on Saturday with Lily La Belle. Last year's show sold out, so book pronto.

FEVA would not be complete without its Visual Arts Trail at 17 locations, its trompe l'oeil optical illusions, painted on13 walls, and a host of special menu offers from the market town's restaurants, pubs and cafes.

These Flavours of FEVA will range from an Elvis Night at The Spice Merchant Indian restaurant on Wednesday to the Bangla Thai Night at DiRaj on Thursday and FEVA's Afternoon Tea Chill Down at Cafe Halle from noon to 6pm on August 17.

The distinctive pink FEVA programme can be picked up free from Knaresborough's shops, library, cafes, pubs and restaurants, and from beyond Knaresborough too. Alternatively, log on to feva.info for full listings and booking details. All ticket prices are kept below £15 and a third of the shows and activities are free.