PRIORY Park will be transformed into a dwelling place of fairies and dragons for Malvern's main May Day festival event on Saturday, April 28.

The Priory Park event is taking the theme of myths and legends, but this year's annual spring festival will see all manner of events taking place.

These are being organised by the Malvern May Day (MMD) group, with financial support from the National Lottery, Elmley Foundation and Worcestershire County Council, and Malvern Fringe, which has an established record of organising May Day activities.

The weekend is being launched on the Friday night, April 27, by a contemporary Welsh rock band. The Bluehorses have played more than 1,000 shows across Europe and the UK including three consecutive years at Glastonbury. They will be playing a mix of Celtic sounds and rock and roll at Ginger's, Worcester Road, at 7.30pm. Admission is £4.

On Saturday, between 11am and 5.30pm, it's myth and magic day in Priory Park with music, workshops and a massive parade. Mayor David Williams will be opening the free family fun day at 11.30 in Priory Park, where there will be clowns, fantastic stilt-walkers, mural painting, story telling, face-painting and stalls. The highly regarded Chase High School Band will be performing in the park from 11.35am, followed by the Soft Option Appalachian Step Dancers at 12.30pm.

Folk band Splatt take their turn at 1.15pm and then at 2pm the grand procession through the park and up to the Abbey Gateway begins. At the top of Church Street, the parade will meet up with another procession coming down from St Ann's Well and led by the Malvern Samba Band. The whole lot will then head for Priory Park.

Artists have been working hard at local schools, Malvern Youth Centre, Malvern Women's Project and the Noah's Ark Trust to create a whole host of mythical creatures and outfits to wear during the parade. Artwork influenced by the Pied Piper, Icarus, Midas and Greek and Indian myths will be on show, alongside mushrooms, fairies and dragons that will be scattered throughout the park.

People are invited to dress up and join in the parade and there will be a costume workshop in the park to help people create that mythical look.

The procession will be followed in the park by Rollercosta, a band formed with Paul Smith, a former member of White Leaved Oak, and then Chuckles and Speedo the clowns take over at 3.30pm.

The Malvern Hills Gymnastics Club will be putting on a gravity-defying performance at the Dome at Malvern Girls' College.

The fun day will culminate with a session by the Ledbury-based band, the Tree Frogs. There will also be a trampoline and gyroscope in the park and circus, samba and willow workshops.

Malvern Fringe has organised two events for Saturday night, the first being a Kidz Koncert after the Priory Park entertainment at The Grove, 8 Avenue Road, featuring adult and children's recorder groups and a Gamelan/Balinese percussion orchestra workshop. Malvern Youth Centre will host a Psycho Ceilidh from 8pm featuring folk-cajun-celtic outfit I've Just Seen Roger.

There is a change of tack on Sunday, when noted Malvern soprano Sue Black will be lining up with baritone Tim Cranmore and pianist Andrew Morris at The Grove. Vocal solos and duets from the 16th to the 20th Century are programmed, with wine and canapes courtesy of Passionata restaurant at Malvern Station. Tickets are £15 and advance booking is recommended on 01684 563313.

Vo Fletcher and friends, including past members of Fairport Convention, will be providing the music at The Grove on Tuesday (May 1), while Bare Bones, from the Dance Exchange, Birmingham, will be at Dyson Perrins CE High School on Saturday, May 5.

Worcester harpist and vocalist Elizabeth Ryder will be performing at The Grove on Sunday, May 6. Elizabeth is shortly to start her music studies at Trinity College, Dublin, and has recently released her first CD. Events will be wrapped up on Saturday, May 12, with a gig by Zion Train at Malvern Youth Centre.