BARRY'S massive Waterfront Weekender is here.

Since the start of the summer your Barry & District News, the official media sponsor, has been bringing you all the latest news as it happened.

And in the build up to this great event - there's been a lot to talk about.

Sponsored by the Vale of Glamorgan Council, Welsh Development Agency, Associated British Ports and Cardiff's White Dove car dealership, the festival takes place on Saturday, 4 September and Sunday, 5 September 2004.

There's a huge amount to do every day, from watching the amazing variety of street entertainers to tapping along with the swinging live music.

Children will be queuing for the fun fair rides, to have their face painted or to be one of the first to set foot on the magnificent Tall Ship.

Youth groups have been getting in practice to strut their funky stuff on the stage and if last year is any measure the whole event promises to be a fabulous fun-packed weekend.

Among the highlights of this year's festival will be the arrival of the Tall Ships Youth Trust's magnificent 60 metre square-rigged sail training vessel, the Stavros Niarchos, for the third year running.

The Tall Ships Youth Trust is a registered charity dedicated to the personal development of young people aged 16-25 through the crewing of tall ships.

The incoming ship will have left La Coruna, Spain, ten days earlier, crossed the Bay of Biscay, before arriving in Barry.

Several of the crew will be from the local area and will help show visitors around the ship.

The Barry Steam Railway will be running Thomas the Tank Engine story trains and Welsh pop sensation Dragonheart will be performing.

There will also be fairground rides, aromatherapy, massages and fitness testing by Barry College, face painting, popular street entertainers the Splott Brothers and Risky in Pink, live music from local bands, craft as well as food and drinks stalls.

The fun will start at 11am each day, and you can find a full listing of the events in the middle pages of this programme.