Although for the first time in 60 years the town's annual Saturday carnival will not be the main focus for the celebrations, the council is hoping the new festival will succeed in plugging the gap left by the loss of the carnival.

To kick off the festivities, the programme starts on the Saturday with Dixieland Jazz music in the Market Square, courtesy of the ever-popular Jazz Beens.
However, Saturday's main attraction will commence at 2pm on Regatta Meadow with the ever-popular funfair.
The fair will feature rides galore, including ones for the 'thrill seekers' and inflatables for the smaller children.

A licensed bar for the thirsty, various food stalls for the hungry, charity stalls and live performances from local solo musicians and bands - all adds up to lots of fun for all the family and visitors to the town.
Although the 'playlist' is yet to be finalised, bands signed up at the moment to perform and strutt their stuff are Heart Attack Jack, The Mono Effect, Let Down, Rogue Poet, Clearcut, Ben Ashwell, Mark Gamble Band, Erstwile Collective, The Droogz, Kat is the Decoy, Beyond Destruction and The Warning.

Fun and games on the Regatta Meadow will continue unabated until 10pm. However they will recommence at 2pm on Sunday, August 24, with even more live performances from the local bands.
Also on Sunday the St Neots Big Band will set feet tapping when they perform the big numbers from their venue on the Riverside Band Stand from 2pm to 4pm.

The highlight of the day will be a magnificent firework display at 10pm which is sponsored by the St Neots branch of the Norwich and Peterborough Building Society and the St Neots Town Centre Initiative.

On Bank Holiday Monday the St Neots Town Mayor's Charity Duck Race will take place at 2pm from St Neots Bridge with the ducks racing to the winning post at St Neots Rowing Club slipway.
Prizes for this charity event are £200, £150, £100, £50 and a £50 gift voucher from Barretts Store.
Tickets for this exciting duck race are priced at £2 per sponsored duck and are available from the Priory Centre and town council offices - and also at various pubs and clubs around the town where signs are displayed.

The Mayor of St Neots, Cllr Bob Eaton, said: 'It has been quite a challenge to put this in place at such short notice, but we hope that people come along and enjoy themselves.'
St Neots Town Centre Manager, Tom McCormick, said: 'All the local performers and helpers are giving their time for free to provide something for people to enjoy. The fireworks display is certainly something to look forward to. We can't control the weather, but we hope that people come along and have fun anyway.

"We also hope to have classic and vintage cars on show over the Saturday and Sunday, but this will be dependent on the weather and ground conditions on Regatta Meadow.
He added: "We are keeping an eye on the weather as some of the heavier fairground equipment can damage the park if the ground is too soft.
"However, come rain or shine the fireworks will take off into the sky at 10pm on the Sunday."

>> The festival has been arranged as a short term measure to fill the slot vacated by the St Neots Carnival this year. In the autumn the Town Council will consider what can be done to plan for and provide a summer attraction for the town in future years.