THERE will be dancing in the streets from today as the annual Upton Folk Festival takes place.

The four-day festival, on the town's waterfront, will be slightly different from last year, as there are no performances by big name bands. Instead, there will be dozens of sing-along sessions in the pubs and plenty of dancing in the streets.

Richard Hannah, festival chairman, said: "Due to a number of problems, we didn't start planning the festival until quite late, so we didn't have the chance to book all the acts.

"We didn't want to rush things, so instead we are asking people to do it themselves by coming along and simply getting involved." Spontaneity will be encouraged and musical performers are being urged to show off their skills by joining in with the numerous pub performances.

About 500 visitors are expected to descend on the riverside to watch more than 40 different morris dancing sides, including the Applejacks, the Bunnies from Hell, Inclognito, Plum Jerkum and the Wild Oats.

The dancers are coming from far and wide to perform at the festival. The groups vary in style, gender, and costume and music which organisers hope will keep everybody entertained. There will be mass dancing outside the King's Head pub at 4pm on Saturday and a lively procession through the town at noon on Sunday. Because there are no performances on stage, this year's festival is free of charge.

The evening ceilidh concerts taking place on Saturday and Sunday night will be the only paid-for events. Weekend camping tickets will cost £10. The festival runs until Monday and for information call Upton Tourist Information Centre on 01684 594200 or visit www.uptonfolk.org