WORCESTER'S Three Choirs Fringe Festival has got the summer covered with more than 350 events running until the end of August.

The Fringe festival kicks off tomorrow as the three cathedral choirs combine for Choral Evensong, a traditional preliminary to the Three Choirs Festival.

But the festival is not limited to music and arts - it incorporates events as diverse as Ironage workshops, the Tewkesbury Water Festival, The Toronto Children's Chorus, open air theatre at the Commandery, teddy bear exhibitions, Worcestershire cricket matches and the Great Worcester Scarecrow festival.

Involve people

"I have tried to involve as many people across the board and across the county as possible so that it will be their festival," said Paul Vaughan, director of the Three Choirs Jubilee Fringe Festival and vice chairman of the Three Choirs Festival.

"Of course, many of the early events would have been taking place anyway. I have merely asked, in some cases, if their dates might be changed to fit our time span or otherwise just to put a festival umbrella over them.

"Later on in July and August you will see events we have generated coming thick and fast."

The rest of June is dominated by the Worcester College of Technology's Riverside Festival, which hosts fashion shows, live bands, songs and dance, drama, and fitness testing from Thursday, June 20, to Saturday, June 22

Other events in June include the West Mercia Constabulary Band performing in Gheluvelt Park on Sunday, June 23, and a battle of the bands competition at Dyson Perrins CE High School on Friday, June 28.

Events are then held almost daily until Sunday, September 1.

Tickets for events are available through the Fringe box office on 01905 611427.

A full Fringe brochure is available by sending a self-addressed, stamped A5 envelope to the Fringe box office, Huntingdon Hall, CrownGate Shopping Centre, Worcester, WR1 3LF.