CLITHEROE'S popular Great Days Festival is to take place this weekend after fears that the event would be cancelled.

Last year, organisers, who were part of a voluntary committee, announced there would be no festival in 2006.

But now Great Days have received help from the organisers of the Bowland Festival and economic support group Lancashire Rural Futures, which offered to help the group bid for European money.

This year's event will be smaller than usual but organisers say the series of concerts due to take place from Friday to Sunday will make sure Great Days still has a presence in the area.

And work is now being done to extend the event next year.

Seamus Heffernan, spokesman for the festival, said: "We have ended up just organising these three concerts. There isn't any of the normal free events we normally put on for the weekend, it's just these concerts.

"I am already thinking about next year. I would hope that at the very least we could re-introduce certain things like having the street party."

At previous Great Days Festivals, along with music, free activities were held including a children's festival, street theatre, bandstand events and dancing displays.

This year's event will open with a concert from 8pm at Aighton, Bailey and Chaigley War Memorial Hall, Hurst Green, featuring 2006 BBC Folk Award winner Chris Wood.

Also performing will be traditional singers Trio Threlfall and English ceilidh singer Ed Rennie. Then on Saturday, from 8pm at St Michael and St John's Social Centre, Lowergate, Clitheroe, world music will feature strongly from Almeida Girl and her nine-piece band, Descarga, then Cajun Quintet, Bayou Gumbo.

Sunday's event, from 7pm at Chipping and District Memorial Hall, Garstang Road, Chipping, will include music from singers and story tellers Vin Garbutt, Rory Motion and Dylan Owen.