SKIPTON’S popular and long-standing heritage event Sheep Day returns on Sunday (June 30).

The event, which takes place in the closed High Street and Canal Basin, combines great family entertainment with displays of sheep-shearing, crafts, food and drink, spinning, weaving – and of course plenty of sheep.

The popular Sheep Show will be back with a hilarious but informative live stage show about sheep and wool. Nine different breeds take to the stage, there are humorous demonstrations of sheep-shearing and how fleeces are turned into wool – and the show finale fills the stage with dancing sheep.

Other entertainment will include a full farm petting zoo; birds of prey; soap making; displays of rare-bred sheep; ferret racing; a bucking sheep– and lots of street performances.

There will be live entertainment too, with Skipton Brass Band, Morris dancing, Samba, and a live entertainment stage, with acts performing throughout the day.

Sunday's event will also incorporate Armed Forces Day and will include the 5th Regiment Royal Artillery – The Yorkshire Gunners; Haworth Home Guard; regimental displays; military vehicles; deactivated radar kit.

At 3pm, the Armed Forces Day flag will be lowered from Skipton Town Hall and be presented to Barry Blood.

A Yorkshire market will also take place on the day selling locally sourced produce from across the Dales.

Tobias Garbutt, Skipton Town Council events supervisor, said: “We have lots of family-fun entertainment planned for the town. This event is such an important day for celebrating the heritage and culture of our town. We are continuously looking at ways to evolve the event and improve the visitor experience."

“We pride ourselves on the diverse range of inclusive and accessible activities and entertainment at Skipton Sheep Day – it's what creates the brilliant atmosphere, the wonderful experience, and the memories for event goers."

The event starts at 10am and runs through to 4pm. Skipton High Street will be closed for the day, with diversions in place around the Town Centre. To ensure the event can go ahead safely, overnight parking will be suspended on the Saturday night and the road will be closed from around 5am Sunday morning.

Sheep Day is planned and organised by Skipton Town Council and supported by Skipton BID. Armed Forces Day entertainment has been organised with support from the Royal British Legion Skipton Branch.

For more details of the event visit the Sheep Day Facebook site at facebook.com/skiptonsheepday