RIBFEST, the award-winning music and drama festival, returns to the Ribble Valley later this month.

Ribchester will host a series of arts events at venues around the village offering something for everyone during the event which runs from Monday, July 16 to Sunday, July 22.

This will be the third year the festival has been organised by Ribcaged Productions, the Clitheroe-based drama company and it will feature concerts ranging from rock and roll to classical.

The fun gets underway with a promenade performance of Courage Calls to Courage Everywhere staged by RATS, Ribchester Amateur Theatrical Society on Monday, July 16. The play, written by Bridget Rabbitts, and directed and produced by Bridget, Charlotte Green and Viki Mason is a timely story of how women gained the vote.

It takes its title from a rallying call to women across the land from Millicent Fawcett, one of the leaders of the suffrage movement.

The production sets off from the Ribchester Arms at 7pm. There will also be performances on Thursday, July 19 at 7pm and Saturday, July 21 and Sunday, July 22 at 3pm.

Also on Monday night there will be a music and Lancashire themed quiz night at the Black Bull.

Jazz lovers can enjoy the John Hallam Quartet with Lynn Fairbanks at the village hall on Tuesday, July 17 and Elizabeth Hansen and Ian Plested at Potters Barn on Friday, July 20. Swing singer Arthur Geldard will be performing at the village hall on Saturday, July 21.

O’Hooley and Tidow, voted best duo at this year’s BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards will be performing at the village hall on Wednesday, July 18.

For classical music lovers, pianist and teacher Liz Goodall will be performing From Middle C to Bach, a session aimed at giving the audience a chance to play the piano.

On Sunday, July 22, Trio Volante made up of former students from the Royal Northern College of Music, recent winners of the Dorothy Parkinson Award for young outstanding British chamber musicians. will be giving a concert.

Ribchester’s own choir, the Ribchester Music Makers, will be presenting a varied programme ranging from pop to classical at the village hall on Thursday, July 19. The musical director will be Edward Haythornwhite and the accompanist, Joy Fielding.

Guitar duo Level 2 will be performing a free show at the Black Bull on Thursday, July 19 covering hits from the Sixties through to the present day.

The UK`s leading tribute to Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and the smash hit musical The Jersey Boys will be brining hits including Big Girls Don’t Cry and Rag Doll to life at the village hall on Friday, July 20.

The group were invited to take part in the Queen’s 90th birthday celebrations at Windsor.

Saturday will also see Rock on the Rec with local bands taking part on the recreation ground with proceeds going towards a new pavilion for the football club.

For full details of all Ribfest events and to buy tickets, visit www.ribcaged.org