The blues might be over but its festival time again in Maryport

Allerdale council has announced it will fund a large three-day festival in the town in August.

The Taste of the Sea Festival will provide a mix of live music, comedy, street theatre and more.

Local Businesses are being encouraged to take up stalls in a market which will be set up on Senhouse Street. Around 30 stalls will be on offer for local market traders selling artisan produce and themed crafts and food. This will be situated in between Crosby Street and High Street.

The event will include a Fizz and Fish Garden near the harbour which will run from 9am on Friday and throughout the weekend. This will include a DJ set, picnic area, hot food stalls, rum shack and Prosecco van.

Along Shipping Brow there will be street artists – street theatre performers who will perform three 45-minute sessions a day.

A live sea shanty band will perform for an hour twice a day and it is hoped that local dance troops, school choirs and cheerleaders will perform in allocated slots across the weekend.

Organisers hope to offer a comedy night at the Wave on the Saturday . This will be a ticketed event with a £15 entry.

Local chefs will demonstrate their culinary skills in the Wave’s theatre room and organisers hope that there will also be a session for kid’s cookery. These sessions will predominately look at showcasing seafood and fish recipes. This will also be ticketed.

A marquee at the bottom of Shipping Brow on the junction of Irish Street will host Rainbow Jelly Productions who will have themed activities, fancy dress, arts and crafts and face painting for children. The council will also look to get fairground rides.

Allerdale council’s events manager Anna Chippendale and business services co-ordinator Ellie Jones, who presented the festival to Maryport Town Council on Monday, said participation was one of the keys to success.

They are encouraging pubs and clubs to provide their own live music throughout the weekend.Schools would be asked to help with posters and some entertainment.

The harbour master has been asked to persuade trawler owners to decorate their boats and, if there is a good catch, to sell their fish to festival patrons.

The festival, which would be funded out of Allerdale’s charity account is part of the regeneration of the town and has been devised on the back of the success of Cockermuth’s# Tase Cumbria.