HADDINGTON Festival 2019 gets under way this week.

Here's the programme of events:

Friday, May 24

  • HADDINGTON Pipe Band Ceilidh from 7.30pm – tickets are £12 or £10 concession, under-fives free, ages 5-15 tickets £5, under-16s must be accompanied by an adult. Bring your own food and drink. Tickets from Joe Forte, David Leckie 07952 327664, Liz McDougall 01620 823974. The event takes place at Haddington Town House.

Saturday, May 25

  • HADDINGTON Farmers’ Market from 9am to 1pm –purchase locally produced food at its best. Held on the last Saturday of every month on Court Street.
  • AMISFIELD Walled Garden – open week, 10am to 2pm: open for visitors. Tours of the A-listed garden available. Plants for sale. Refreshments available. By car, enter from the east entrance to Amisfield Park, near Abbey Bridge from A199; on foot, via public footpath through golf course or along the north side of the River Tyne.

Sunday, May 26

  • PARADE of organisations, 1.45pm on Court Street – all of the Haddington organisations march through the town to the war memorial. The Burgh flag will be carried by Jim Graham.
  • WAR Memorial – St Mary’s Parish Church and wreath laying ceremony, 2pm: St Mary’s minister will conduct the festival service. Wreath-laying by one of the community councillors. Wreath donated by Sweetpeas.
  • ST MARY’S Parish Church – service to mark the official opening of the 2019 festival, 2.15pm: the community council wish to extend a cordial invitation to all organisations to participate in the parade and service. The parade will be under the direction of Callum Colquhoun. Haddington Pipe Band will lead the parade. A reading will be given by Pat Buchanan, who will be opening this year’s festival.
  • KNOX Academy – multi-award-winning five-piece Breabach perform. The band, which is described as “one of the most exciting acts to come out of Scotland”, perform at the secondary school at 7.30pm. Tickets, £15, are available from The Brunton in Musselburgh or Mike’s Bikes.

Monday, May 27

  • HADDINGTON Primary School’s Festival Footsteps to France – Haddington Primary School PTA have set the pupils a challenge of a different kind during the town’s festival week this year. The children have been set the challenge of walking collectively the equivalent distance from Haddington to its twin town of Aubigny-sur-Nere in France during the week. Each day the children will be walking a planned route around the town in their class buddy groups. This is a sponsored event with donations gratefully received. Keep an eye out for them pounding the streets of Haddington from Monday to Thursday, 9-12.30pm or 1.30-3pm. More details of which classes will be going and when will be distributed to parents/carers.
  • AMISFIELD Walled Garden – open week, 10am to 2pm: open for visitors. Tours of the A-listed garden available. Plants for sale. Refreshments available. By car, enter from the east entrance to Amisfield Park, near Abbey Bridge from A199; on foot, via public footpath through golf course or along the north side of the River Tyne.
  • ST MARY’S Parish Church, 7.30-8.45pm: Garleton Singers concert. Music from stage and screen. Tickets £12/£8, students £3.

Tuesday, May 28

  • HADDINGTON Town House – Coffee morning and raffle, 10am-2pm: organised by Haddington and District Probus Club. Tickets £2.50 from Probus members and festival desk.
  • AMISFIELD Walled Garden – open week, 10am to 2pm: open for visitors. Tours of the A-listed garden available. Plants for sale. Refreshments available. By car, enter from the east entrance to Amisfield Park, near Abbey Bridge from A199; on foot, via public footpath through golf course or along the north side of the River Tyne.
  • HADDINGTON Bowling Club – bingo night, 6.30-9pm: Eyes down for a night of bingo fun. First game at 7.30pm. Bingo caller is Greta Kornhammer.

Wednesday, May 29

  • AMISFIELD Walled Garden – open week, 10am to 2pm: open for visitors. Tours of the A-listed garden available. Plants for sale. Refreshments available. By car, enter from the east entrance to Amisfield Park, near Abbey Bridge from A199; on foot, via public footpath through golf course or along the north side of the River Tyne.
  • NUNGATE Bridge – Haddington Events Group River Tyne Pirates and Princesses Night, 6-9pm. Fun filled dress-up evening with toy boat race, sports, food, ice cream, inflatable slides, face-painting and attractions. Come as a pirate or a princess. Prizes for best princess and best pirate.
  • WATERLOO Bridge, Poldrate – float your boat, 7pm: toy boat race starting at The Lade at Ball Alley with the finish at Nungate Bridge at 8pm. Buy your toy boats, £1, from festival desk or stall on the night. Prizes: 1. £50; 2. £25; 3. £15.
  • NUNGATE Bridge – tug of war, 7.15pm: Free for all ages. Boys v girls, dads v mums, pubs v clubs. Show up on the day.
  • NUNGATE Bridge – children’s races, 7.45pm: a light-hearted piece of fun competition for all ages.
  • NUNGATE Bridge – float your boat finish line, 8pm: Finale of the float your boat race.
  • LADY Kitty’s Garden – pétanque, 7-9pm: Haddington Twinning Association welcomes everyone to a ‘small corner of France’ for the evening. Try your hand at a game of pétanque, help if required with the rules and how to play. Boules will be provided or bring your own. Admission is free.

Thursday, May 30

  • AMISFIELD Walled Garden – open week, 10am to 2pm: open for visitors. Tours of the A-listed garden available. Plants for sale. Refreshments available. By car, enter from the east entrance to Amisfield Park, near Abbey Bridge from A199; on foot, via public footpath through golf course or along the north side of the River Tyne.
  • HADDINGTON Care Home – tea dance, 2pm to 4pm: live music, sandwiches and refreshments on the ground floor. Tickets available from Haddington Care Home at £5 each.
  • HADDINGTON Town House – Haddington Festival Line Dancing Hoedown, 7.30pm: tickets are available at Betty’s and Joe Forte Sports from £5 each.

Friday, May 31

  • AMISFIELD Walled Garden – open week, 10am to 2pm: open for visitors. Tours of the A-listed garden available. Plants for sale. Refreshments available. By car, enter from the east entrance to Amisfield Park, near Abbey Bridge from A199; on foot, via public footpath through golf course or along the north side of the River Tyne.
  • ST MARY’S Parish Church – fun and games afternoon for Christian Aid, 2.30pm to 4.30pm: there is no entry fee and all the activities are free of charge, with small prizes being offered for some events. It’s mostly just fun but there will be buckets available if anyone wishes to make a contribution to Christian Aid. Ice cream, juice and snacks on sale and people are welcome to bring their own picnic if they wish. Activities on offer include water carrying, crazy golf, beat the goalie, throw the welly, obstacle course, craft corner and treasure hunts.
  • HADDINGTON Rugby Club – Bob Mitchell’s Wee Three Quiz, 8pm. In its 28th year, Bob Mitchell’s quiz is one of the busiest nights of the week. Entries £5 per team to festival box office or Bob Mitchell 01620 822029, email bobmitchell6@tiscali.co.uk

Saturday, June 1

  • AMISFIELD Walled Garden – open week, 10am to 2pm: open for visitors. Tours of the A-listed garden available. Plants for sale. Refreshments available. By car, enter from the east entrance to Amisfield Park, near Abbey Bridge from A199; on foot, via public footpath through golf course or along the north side of the River Tyne.
  • WHITTINGEHAME Drive – Festival Fun Day fancy dress judging and prizegiving, noon: extra consideration given to those who dress up in this year’s Superheroes theme. Judging will be on the grass verge on the north side of Whittingehame Drive and starts at noon sharp. Prizes for best dressed individuals, best dressed groups and best dressed method of transport in the categories of 0-3 years, 3-7 years, 7-14 years, 14+ and adults. Provost John McMillan will pick the winners.
  • WHITTINGEHAME Drive – Festival Fun Day fancy dress parade led by Haddington Pipe Band, 12.30pm: parade to be led by the pipe band starting at Whittingehame Drive and continuing along Hardgate, High Street, Court Street, up by The Green, Hope Park, Lydgait, down past Tesco, Market Street, turn right onto Hardgate, up past the Maitlandfield House Hotel along Mill Wynd and into Neilson Park.
  • NEILSON Park – Festival Fun Day, organised by Haddington Events Group, 12.30pm to 4pm: a selection of fun fair rides for all the family opening at noon until 4pm. £5 for wristband which grants unlimited rides on shows. £6 for wristband and a fun day goodie bag (sandwich, juice, fruit and sweet). For sale at Betty’s and Mike’s Bikes. Stalls from local groups providing items to win, browse and buy. Face-painting by Jackie Jack – children face-painting £3, two for £5, adults £4. Aaron Duke Stunt Cyclist Show, inflatable assault course, Shetland ponies and quad bikes, as well as stilt walkers and jugglers. Bridge Centre Music Project Stage features an array of local talent showing off their musical skills through the day. Children’s races 2.30pm. Food, drink and ice cream available throughout the day around the park. Haddington Pipe Band play in the park when they return with the parade, with further music from Radio Saltire. Tea in the Park offered by Haddington Events Group – relax with a cup of coffee and home-baking, and watch all the activities around the park, open all day until 4pm.