NINE days of art, music and fun are guaranteed in Brighouse.

The town’s first Brighouse Arts Festival got underway yesterday – and tomorrow sees the return of the hugely popular Totally Locally food and craft market.

Thousands of people are expected to get involved in the festival events over the next nine days.

At the launch yesterday at the Smith Art Gallery, organisers revealed what the town has in store for visitors.

Tom Ratcliffe, one of the festival’s organisers, said: “It started with an idea and with the help of many people it has come together over the last 10 months.

“The festival itself is a mix of music, literature, art, events in the park and lectures and workshops.

“Brighouse has the creativity but it didn’t have its own festival – that was always in the Upper Valley.

“We’ve so much going on over the next week and we hope as many people get involved as possible and that this will be the first of many.”

Guest speaker Carl Hopkins, star of Secret Millionaire and a Brighouse-based businessman, said: “The people who have worked tirelessly to bring the arts festival and the market together did so for the benefit of the community.

“It’s taken dedicated, hardworking volunteers to pull this together and I’m looking forward to seeing what they’ve done.”

Clr Christine Beal, deputy mayor of Calderdale, officially opened the festival and said the festival was “ambitious and would bring to the town a sense of identity and pride” and hoped it would be the first of many.

Among the first of the arts events was the unveiling of the Two Cultures: Abstract Art in England exhibition at the Smith Art Gallery and last night the Yorkshire Saxophone Choir got things swinging with a concert at the town’s Salvation Army Citadel.

Today at 7.30pm music lovers can see the Ian McMillan Orchestra at the Central Methodist Church. Tickets are £15.

The St Martin’s Church family fun weekend begins today and visitors will have a puzzle or two to solve from 10am-5pm every day except Sunday, when it runs from midday-5pm.

On Saturday Commercial Street will be closed off as 68 traders set up stall.

The Totally Locally market features some of the finest produce from Calderdale and Kirklees.

Lesley Adams, chair of the Brighouse Business Initiative, said: “We’ve got 68 stalls which is the most yet and many of them are new to us.”

Among the stalls are Lottie Shaws, Villa Farm Shop and the Porkshire stall, all from within a few miles of the town.

A hot food banquet will be available at the Street restaurant and a Hog Roast from GigPig.

There will also be market-day entertainment including a Vegas Elvis, Glen Miller tribute Flashbacks and the Kirklees Music Band, as well as a miniature steam train and a fun fair.

The market is organised by the Brighouse Business Initiative, run by the Brighouse traders.

OTHER EVENTS INCLUDE:

TOMORROW: Chris Illingworth piano recital, Smith Art Gallery 7.30pm, £7. Brighouse Marina – drawing workshop at the Salvation Army, Saturday 1pm-4pm, £6.

SUNDAY: Party in the Park, Rydings Park, 11am-5pm, free. Dr Who workshops, Brighouse Library, four one-hour free workshops starting at 11.30am, 1pm, 2.15pm and 3.30pm. Brighouse parks – drawing workshop Rydings Park, Sunday 10am-4pm, £6.

MONDAY: GOGO Penguin - jazz trio, Central Methodist Church 7.30pm, £6.50.

TUESDAY: Writing workshop with R.L.Royle 2pm-5pm, £6.

WEDNESDAY: Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Thanksgiving Service, St Martin’s Parish Church 7.30pm. Aidan Edwards and Juliet Montgomery concert St John The Divine, 7.30pm, £5. Practical needle felting textiles workshop Salvation Army 1pm-5pm, £10.

THURSDAY: Summer sounds, Clifton and Lightcliffe Brass in concert Salvation Army, 7.30pm, £5.

FRIDAY: A literary evening with Ann Cleeves, Brighouse Library, 7pm, £5. Spirit of Harmony Barbershop ensemble, Central Methodist Church, 7.30pm, £8.

SATURDAY: Masterworks chorale, St Martin’s Parish Church, 7.30pm, £8.

Exhibitions run throughout – Calderdale Open Art, Smith Art Gallery, free. David Hockney and others at Harrison Lord Gallery, Brighouse’s Matthew Evans at The Pot Spot, photographer Sarah Glover at Blakeley’s Coffee Shop, Jasmin Chadwick at Brighouse Library.

See today’s WOW for further details about Brighouse signer Roger Davies in concert and the St Martin’s Parish Church festival finale.