MORE than a thousand people attended the Raglan Festival, which took place at multiple venues in the village centre over the course of the weekend.
The main attraction of the weekend was the return of the festival’s street party, held on the High Street, with many hundreds of people listening to acts including Brothers of Blues, Ella James, Catch 22 and the Tenovus Choir – all playing fantastic sets in the sunshine.
Big Macs Wholly Soul band headlined the festival street party, celebrating their 29th anniversary with a soulful set which got everyone up and dancing.
"It was another amazing weekend here in the village, with so much local talent on display, ranging from the very youngest in the school, right through to our senior friends who are so gifted," Festival Committee chairman Col Knight said.
He added: "As for our second street party, it was fantastic to see everyone out on the High Street in Raglan enjoying themselves in fine weather with great music and a real sense of community spirit.”
Other venues for the three-day festival included Raglan VC Primary School, the Beaufort Hotel, the Crown and Ship pubs, Raglan Baptist Chapel, and St Cadoc’s Church.
The festival launched on Friday with an afternoon of musical entertainment at Raglan Primary School’s annual concert. This year Raglan Festival also donated £500 toward the school orchestra for the benefit of school pupils.
The festival's opening day culminated in a Greatest Showman Sing-along night at the Beaufort Hotel.
On Saturday, children’s workshops included open lessons on drums, percussion, woodwind, guitars, ukulele, strings and brass – with over 250 children taking part.
The day included performances from several Gwent Music groups of pupils from Raglan and Monmouth Comprehensive.
Other performers on Saturday included Don't Tell Johnny, Wyld Bird Seed, Summer Wine, Electric Violin Duo Ben Huws and Rab Hadleigh, Ed Harper, Shades of Grey, and the Whiskey River Boys.
The village's Baptist chapel hosted the festival's annual Gymanfa Ganu, organised by Lloyd Jones and supported by Monmouth and District Welsh Society.
Sunday morning’s Joint Church Service was well attended and St Cadoc’s Church proved an excellent venue for the fantastic Talgarth Male Voice Choir and the Chepstow and Usk Singing Club, as well as Raglan’s own Millennium Chimes handbell group.
Mr Knight thanked everyone involved for their support and said the village was already looking forward to Raglan Day, which will take place on Monday, August 27.
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