BEYOND the traditional carnival day, this year’s Penarth Summer Festival is bigger and better than ever.

With the festival programme growing year on year, there are fantastic events to discover all over the town.

Whether you enjoy food, music, or hunting for buried treasure, there is now something for everyone to enjoy. And it is all thanks to the hard work of local volunteers.

Running July 11-21, this year’s festival is packed with events for all ages, from the inaugural Penarth Town Treasure Hunt Fun Day on Sunday 14 at The Kymin, to the Penarth Food Festival on Sunday 21, also at The Kymin. There will also be the craft fairs, art exhibitions, entertainment events and more, giving the people of Penarth lots to choose from.

The packed programme of events will be the culmination of hundreds of hours of hard work by local individuals and community groups. Ceri Lambert of The Arty Monkey Creative Academy, who is organising the treasure hunt in aid of Asthma UK, said: “We’re thrilled to be part of the festival. The support from local businesses has been phenomenal – now we just need the people of Penarth to come and have a brilliant time supporting their festival!”

The Treasure Hunt is being written by Ceri’s husband Kit, a professional television scriptwriter based in Penarth. Kit said: “The Treasure Hunt is a celebration of Penarth and these summer festival events help to make this a great place to live. The more people that support the festival, by organising an event or simply coming along and taking part, the more it benefits the whole town.”

Some of the events are promoting Penarth businesses. The Penarth Food Festival, arranged by Gwyrddio Penarth Greening, will celebrate the best of local produce and small holdings, including local sausage, cheese and bread makers, vegetable growers, and wine and honey producers.

Stalls by local craftspeople, including a glass-maker, a ceramicist and a textile artist will all also be on show at The Kymin on July 14.

The Penarth Town Treasure Hunt and Family Fun Day are still looking for volunteers to get involved in the festival. Contact Ceri Lambert on 07792402919 or email admin@artymonkey.org