With 2008 being its 17th year, this year's Stafford Festival was more popular than ever.  Crowds at this year's event exceeded expectations, despite changeable weather conditions, and with its rolling reputation and fantastic support from local businesses, long will it live on.

The Festival remains true to its 1991 origins however, and draws visitors in from across the county and region with a mixture of street entertainment, musical extravaganzas, and children's entertainment.  Local schools continue to get involved each year, by designing and producing centre pieces for the Mayor's Festival Parade.

The 2008 Stafford Festival was once again, able to build upon the huge success of those events that have gone before it.

Stafford Festival Shakespeare is now hugely renowned, attracting visitors from far and wide. This year's production of Hamlet, despite being one of the wettest July's on record, still drew great crowds, and received fantastic reviews in the press. 

The 2009 production of Stafford Festival Shakespeare with be Twelfth Night and will run from Thursday 25 June to Saturday 11 July 2009 at Stafford Castle, and tickets will be available from 18th August 2008.  Phone the box office on 01785 254 653 for more information.

The 2009 Festival will include all of the usual elements, with Stafford's Market Square new host to the ever popular Raw Talent competition.  Raw Talent is a fantastic opportunity to encourage local musicians to form bands as creative outlets. The categories open to musicians aged 13 to 21 from Stafford Borough are bands, singers and MCs. Raw Talent Auditions will take place in May/June in the MET Studio at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre. The town centre also comes to life that same Saturday, bursting with the laughter and colours generated by the Street Theatre Extravaganza.  Street entertainment is the order of the day with clowns, and circus skills performers keeping the children and adults alike amused.
		Party in the Park, a children's favourite takes place in the town's Victoria Park, and offers fun for all the family with puppet shows, fun rides, and circus skills workshops.  And this year, Fifi, from Fifi and the Flowertots TM, joined in with the festival frolics.   The popular Teddy Bears Picnic took place in the sunshine this year at the stunning Izaak Walton's Cottage on Sunday 13 July, and  was another great outing for the youngsters.

Stafford's town centre bustled with activity with the musical and colourful Mayor's Festival Parade on the second Saturday.  Helped by the sunshine, the fantastic floats from local retailers, businesses, and community groups alike, filled the streets with colour, music, street theatre and dance - and everyone enjoyed a delightful day in the Market Square.

The finale to the 2008 Stafford Festival on the final Sunday, was the 12th annual music event at Stafford Castle.  'Live @ the Castle' which featured sets from local folk and blues and rock 'n' roll bands, who play to the crowds on the hillside.   Along with the main stage, visitors were entertained by some great acoustic sets in the Gatehouse Bar Marquee (coordinated by The 'ford Squad). People turned out in their thousands this year as the hillside basked in sunshine, and hopes are high that the weather will be on our side, helping to bring next year's event to an equally stunning and sunny climax!