PREPARATIONS are well under way for the 20th Newent Onion Fayre.

The fayre, which sees the town spring to life in celebration of the humble onion, takes place on Saturday, September 12.

In the run up to the event, the festival's mascot Onion Ed spent last weekend partying with festival-goers and celebrities at Lakefest music festival in Croft Farm Water Park near Tewkesbury.

The mascot spread the word about the festival to pop duo, the Cheeky Girls and Hayseed Dixie.

This year's Onion Fayre will feature a number of names well known in the musical world, including Nizlopi, 3 Daft Monkeys, the Beat, the Sons of Navarone, the Ultimate Beatles and the Roving Crows, either at the actual festival or the after party.

The after party — Onionfest — is a one off evening of entertainment centred around Newent Lake, which as well as live music will include light shows, a licensed bar, a hog roast and other food and drink.

Fayre chairman, Peter Pain, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with the support we have received this year and onionfest is definitely going to be a spectacular event. It’s such a unique venue and as it’s a one-off, there’s been a lot of interest in the festival.”

Newent Onion Fayre started nearly 800 years ago and is a community event, organised by a small group of volunteers. Along with giving local organisations the opportunity to showcase their business and the town, proceeds from the event are gifted back to the community.

The fayre attracts more than 10,000 people each year, and includes more than 140 street stalls and activities and street performances.

The fayre has been going since the 13th century, when Henry III gave Newent a royal charter for a market and two annual fayres, and one of the annual fayres became the Onion Fayre.

After a break during the First World War the fayre started up again 20 years ago and is one of the town's highlights of the year.