Event will spread out so more can benefit

THIS year’s Ramsbottom Chocolate Festival will be ‘a family event’ now that it is no longer under threat.

Organisers have said they hope the event, now confirmed for the weekend of April 8-9, will be the biggest yet as it celebrates its tenth running in the town, adding that they have planned a new layout.

The festival will be displayed over a larger space in the town centre, allowing for visitors to experience more of the town, including the historic railway station and church gardens.

Terri Fletcher, 39, from Ramsbottom, said: “Last year was the most popular festival we’ve had.

“We had record numbers of people coming over the weekend and this year we want to include further areas of the town for everyone to benefit.

“The main focus of this year is on it being a family-friendly event and having it supported by the council will let us do that.

“We will use a new format this year. There will be more family areas such as seated areas and benches as well as play areas. We want as many people at the festival to enjoy the town.”

The festival will again run in the town centre following a meeting with Bury council, with added stewards to deal with crowd numbers following concerns for safety due to the thousands of visitors attracted to the event.

Terri added: “We’re going to have a similar number of traders this year and we’re going to have them in other areas of the town. We want people to come and wander around the town and enjoy themselves.”