WATCH out Crediton!

Are you ready for one of the largest community festivals the town has ever seen?

The Crediton Festival 2009, which marks the 1,100th anniversary of the founding of the first cathedral in Devon at Crediton, gets under way on Saturday, May 23.

The festival committee has organised a varied programme of events, while others organised by town and community groups are included under the festival umbrella.

Many events are free of charge and the organisers say that the month-long event includes something for everyone.

Thousands of people are expected to attend some of the major events.

Highlights include:

• Saxon/Viking battles - 10.30am onwards - Sunday May 24 and Monday, May 25 - £5 per person £10 per family. This spectacular re-enactment with more than 100 Vikings will show what life was like in 10th-century Crediton.

• Exhibition with Flowers - Crediton Parish Church 10.30am to 8.30pm, except Sunday, 11am to 6pm - Saturday, May 30 to Thursday, June 4 - A coastal journey theme. Art exhibition, refreshments, stalls.

• Crediton Crunch - 10.30am - Sunday, May 31 - 10k run on roads and lanes around Crediton - start Crediton Rugby Club - entries still being taken (350 max) - apply to http://www.womensrunningnetwork.co.uk/southwest/events.htm">www.womensrunningnetwork.co.uk/southwest/events.htm

• Handel's Messiah from the Crediton 2009 Festival Chorus - Crediton Parish Church - 7.30pm - Saturday, June 6 - £8, under 16s free of charge, More than 100 singers from groups and individuals under the baton of Tina Guthrie. The musical celebration is led by Brenda Willoughby and features four soloists.

• Crediton Food Festival - Town Square - Saturday, June 13 and Sunday, June 14 - Local growers, producers and makers of top-quality food will share their passion at Crediton's first food festival.

• Celebration with the Archbishop of Canterbury - Crediton Parish Church - 3pm - Friday, June 26 - The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, will speak at the special service celebrating the founding of Devon's first diocese at Crediton in 909.

• Shakespeare in the Square, Pericles - Crediton Town Square - 7.30pm -Wednesday, June 24 to Saturday, June 27 - In a 400-seat outdoor arena, performances of the rarely performed colourful Shakespeare play.

The Rector of Crediton, the Rev Nigel Guthrie, had the idea of making the festival a community event. He said he was delighted so many groups had got involved.

He said: "There is not doubt that 909 was a very significant year for Crediton because the arrival of the Bishop and Cathedral would have given the town a tremendous boost and put it on the map in the South West.

"The idea of the festival is to celebrate and promote the history of the town, the church here, and all the many things which are good about Crediton."

Three years ago the festival committee was formed and this is chaired by former town newsagent, Paul Evans.

A member of the Rotary Club of Crediton, Paul has been ably supported by fellow Rotarians in establishing the festival.

The Rotary Club of Crediton, for example, are organising the Saxon/Viking weekend arrangements and marshalling the event.

Mr Evans said: "This is the finest time Crediton has had such a long festival with so many things involved, from food to sport."

He said he was pleased how the work to co-ordinate the festival had come together and thanked the festival committee members for their support.

He also thanked the many businesses who have sponsored the festival and also acknowledged funding from the National Lottery Awards for All.

He added: "I have to say a very big 'thank you' to the businesses for their support.

"It runs into thousands of pounds and without that the festival would not run.

"Despite the very hard times we are in, not one of them has defaulted."

A colourful brochure detailing all the festival events is available at various locations in the town or directly from the box office for many events which is at Evans Travel, 14 High Street, Crediton, telephone 01363 772386. Brochures are also available at the offices of the Crediton Country Courier.

Check the pages of the Courier during the next few weeks for further details of festival events.

For details of all the festival events, visit the website: http://www.creditonfestival2009.co.uk">www.creditonfestival2009.co.uk .