A MAJOR new family-friendly arts festival arrives in Cumbria this August, taking place in public spaces and hidden places across Kendal.

Lakes Alive's Bank Holiday Festival runs from Friday 26 to Sunday 28, as Kendal is lit up by vibrant illuminations, digital delights, intimate performances, amazing installations and spectacular happenings.

Visitors can explore this new cultural experience by actually working with international artists and established and emerging performers - or kicking back and enjoying the mostly free activities and performances in the programme.

There are events for all the family each day - here is just a few of the highlights:

Lakes Alive Festival Launches with a "Giant Jacobs Join" on Friday 26. The free event runs from 7pm to 10pm, along the River Kent - behind Kendal Parish Church.

A jamboree, a pop-up feast and a night to create some special memories. Bring your own picnic or choose from one of the local food and drink stalls. Bring your contribution to the table - maybe a hat, a musical instrument and a friend!

Local choir, puppets and magicians will all take a turn at entertaining the guests. Following the banquet there will be a pop-up finale by Cirque Bijou.

In the event of wet weather the event will move into Kendal Parish Hall.

The Museum of the Moon, by Luke Jerram, will be in operation from Saturday 27, at noon to 5pm, 6pm to 8pm, and 9pm to 11pm, and on Sunday 28 from noon to 4pm, at St Thomas Church, in Stricklandgate, Kendal.

The Moon is a giant seven-metre diameter, internally lit inflated spherical sculpture. The surface of the fabric is printed with the most accurate and detailed up-to-date imagery of the moon’s surface as supplied from NASA.

It will be accompanied with a range of live musical performances by local musicians and space-related family-friendly workshops.

Also on Saturday - at K Village from 11am to 11.30am - and on Sunday - from Kendal Castle from noon to 3pm - will be a chance to contribute to and view Minimum Monument by internationally-acclaimed artist Néle Azevedo.


Minimum Monument by Néle Azevedo

The Saturday event is an artist talk about the creation of Minimum Monument - a powerful ice sculpture installation which has travelled the world to raise awareness of issues around climate change. You can help make the final sculptures for Sunday's event.

The Main Event on Sunday sees Néle invite the public to place over 3,000 ice sculptures of the human form, created by the local community, at the ruins of Kendal Castle. They melt away, a powerful visual reminder that the future of the planet is in our hands

John Hodgson, world heritage coordinator for the Lake District National Park, who are presenting Lakes Alive, says:

“The Lake District has been a rich source of artistic inspiration for hundreds of years and this is one of the central themes of the World Heritage bid. So we’re delighted to be part of a very modern, interactive digital art experience, and share with festival goers the unique qualities of our culturally-rich landscape.

"And once the festival is over, we hope people will feel inspired to step out of the virtual world and into the national park, experiencing for real just why the Lake District deserves World Heritage status.”

Sarah Allen, Lakes Alive festival director, adds: "I am thrilled to be working on such an exciting project and in one of the UK’s most beautiful landscapes. The festival's digital and participatory emphasis will enable visitors and residents to explore Kendal in a way they never have before.”

For a full list of events and activities, visit www.lakesalive.co.uk