THOUSANDS of visitors will be transported to the Land of Oz for this year’s popular Ainsworth Village Day.

The recreation ground in Church Street will be brought to life for the spectacle, which started in 1977 to celebrate the Queen’s silver jubilee.

It has been given a Wizard Of Oz theme and will be officially opened at noon on Saturday, July 27 by the “Wizard of Ainsworth”, Les Martin.

The traditional procession starts at 12.30pm and will be led by a samba band, followed by popular characters Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow and Lion.

Budding singer and actor, Courtney Fannon, will sing ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’.

The Mayor of Bury, Councillor Sharon Briggs, is among those expected to attend the community day.

The fun will continue throughout the afternoon, with DJ Charlie Chuckles entertaining the crowds between zumba, a strongman competition and tug of war.

Scouts will provide cream teas and there will be a barbecue, drinks, tarot reader, lucky dip and many stalls.

Children can enjoy a birds of prey display, face painting, football shoot-out and play area. Many local organisations will take part, including Ainsworth Village History Group, Ainsworth Nursing Home and Ainsworth Scholars.

Several charities will also have stands, such as Bury Hospice, Guide Dogs For The Blind, Bury Deaf Society, Bury Blind Society and Bolton And Bury Cat Rescue.

The event is organised by Ainsworth Village Task Force, who rely on volunteers to set up and run the stalls and clear up at the end.

Bottles for the tombola and cakes to sell are donated by residents in the village.

Most of the money raised on the day goes towards paying for next year’s event, with some money donated to good causes.

Last year, £500 was given to Ainsworth Football Club to help with the cost of levelling the pitch, £150 for the old folks’ Christmas party and £275 to Ainsworth Scouts for an adventure holiday in Switzerland.