I’d like to start my column this month by saying how fantastic it was to see so many people supporting the second Pride in the Port weekend earlier this month.

The whole weekend, from the parade and festival to the fringe events, was a wonderful celebration of our LGBTQIA+ community.

I spoke to many people who were so happy to be able to experience something like Pride in the Port in our city, and to be able to just be themselves. It shows why events like this matter, and I’m already looking forward to next year’s celebrations!

Speaking of celebrations, there is just one month to go until the Newport Food Festival returns to the city centre, and I’m delighted to say that this year’s event will be bigger than ever, taking place over three days instead of one.

The festival has become established as one of the highlights of Newport’s events calendar, and we’re sure that this year’s programme will prove popular with residents, visitors and businesses alike.

The festival kicks off with a supper event on the evening of Friday October 13 at the Mercure Hotel’s NP20 Bar and Kitchen.

The festival’s patron chef Hywel Jones will be taking diners on a culinary exploration of fabulous Welsh, Georgian and German cuisine, to celebrate Newport’s links with our twin cities of Kutaisi and Heidenheim.

Hywel has been a great supporter of the festival ever since the first edition in 2010, and we’re delighted that he is able to join us again this year.

Tickets for the supper are on sale now, and can be booked through the food festival website.

Saturday will see the traditional food market set up in the city centre, with street entertainment, chef demonstrations in Newport Market, a vegan and vegetarian village in John Frost Square, and the return of the final of the Teen Chef competition.

Finally, on the Sunday there will be a new event for the festival, with live music and street food vendors taking over High Street.

We have worked closely with local bars Le Pub, McCanns and Madame JoJo to put together a fabulous line-up of entertainment for the Sunday event, which we are sure is going to be a popular addition to the festival programme.

We have a fabulous food scene in Newport, and extending the festival to three days offers us an even greater opportunity to showcase it.

Celebrating that food scene doesn’t end with the festival programme. If you are visiting Newport for the festival, we also have lots of fabulous restaurants and bars for you to discover.

The festival programme has something for everyone, and I can’t wait to celebrate the best of Newport with everyone next month.

The Newport Food Festival runs from October 13 to 15. For more information, visit www.newportfoodfestival.co.uk .