A FESTIVAL that celebrates the fruit a town is famous for is returning in its usual purple theme for its 26th year.

This month Pershore celebrates all things plum with festivities taking place throughout the town finishing with The Big Plum Weekend on August 25 and 26.

Highlights of the month include the Plum Coach tour on Thursday, August 15 where visitors can learn all about the Pershore plum, the Plum Train on Sunday, August 18 which takes the Plum Posse, Eggbert and Prunella along with other plums to Cheltenham, and The Big Plum Weekend which draws tens of thousands of visitors.

(Image: Stuart Purfield)

Angela Taylor, chair of the Pershore Plum Festival, said: "It's all happening this month in Pershore starting with Plum Alley this Saturday (August 3), then the Plum Train, the shop window competition in which the businesses go plum-themed, the bike night, the cider festival and then The Big Plum Weekend.

"Just today some new purple and yellow flags have been put up in the town to represent our purple and yellow plums."

Plum Alley will be happening on August 3, 10 and 17 at Chapman Court in Pershore with a range of exhibitors selling plums and live entertainment.

(Image: Stuart Purfield)

Mrs Taylor continued: "The Big Plum weekend attracts the most visitors by far, I think last year we had between 20,000 and 25,000 people. 

"I've been chair since 2008 and I always look forward to the festival, we have a small team of dedicated volunteers who tirelessly work to make sure it's a success and I'm very grateful. 

"There's always lots going on throughout the month and it's something that the whole town gets involved with."

(Image: Stuart Purfield)

The festival launch starts from 10am on Friday August 23 with a Quarter Peal from the Abbey Bells, followed by plummy entertainment at Plum Alley, a big screen cinema in Abbey Park, a fun fair and a cider festival at the Angel Hotel.

The Family Fun Day on the following day starts off with the Plum Plodders 10k Race in Abbey Park. 

It is then followed by the Plum Pooches in the Park Dog Show, tours of Abbey Tower and cookery and gardening demonstrations. 

Throughout Saturday there will also be live entertainment, a food village and trade stalls. 

The main event for the final day of the festival, also known as Plum Fayre Day, is The Plum Parade which will leave the town hall at 10.30am. 

On Sunday, along with live entertainment and food, there will also be classic cars, tower tours and a teddy bear parachute drop competition.