You’ll need to have been up with the lark to take part in the first of the festivities welcoming in summer as the Sweeps Festival comes to town.

The dawn awakening ceremony of Jack-in-the-Green at 5.32am today, at the Blue Bell Hill picnic area in Common Road was the start of events. But if you’re looking for a more civilised hour, then there are celebrations taking place throughout Rochester from Saturday, May 4 until Bank Holiday Monday, May 6.

Jack will also lead the Sweeps Parade, joining hundreds of morris dancers from across the UK from Star Hill at 2.45pm on Bank Holiday Monday.

There will be fun for all the family in the castle gardens, folk-art and psychic fair, children’s fun fair, real ale tent and a vegan fair.

Live bands will perform a mix of folk music on stages across Rochester.

Dawn Hudd from Medway Council said: “This year’s Sweeps Festival is packed full of entertainment and activities for the whole

family to enjoy. Sweeps is one of Medway’s most popular festivals and we’re looking forward to welcoming thousands of

residents and visitors to Rochester.”

A local produce fair will take place in the Kings Head car park and all the way up Boley Hill, where there will be a musical

instrument fair, a recollect record fair and live performances. Splat! will return to Rochester Castle moat on Bank Holiday Monday, from 11am to 4pm for a big picnic when there will be free fun activities including family craft workshops, children’s shows and roaming performers.

Visitors will be able to see two folk acts perform on a sailing barge. An Evening with Sally Ironmonger will be on Saturday, May 4 at 6pm on Sailing Barge Kitty. Medway singer Sally will be accompanied by her husband Brian on guitar. An Evening with Kimber’s Men will then take place on Sunday, May 5, at 6pm on the barge. The group, who starred in the BBC2 and BBC4 production of Sea Songs, with Gareth Malone, will be fresh from their Australian tour.

They will also stage an interactive performance at a sea shanty workshop at the Huguenot Museum on Sunday, May 5, between

11am to 12.30pm, when they will sing shanties and work songs against the backdrop of film footage from the last days of the tall ships. Visitors will also be able to learn about square riggers and get first-hand knowledge of life on board.

Tickets cost £6, while the barge performances cost £10. To book go to medwayticketslive.co.uk or call 01634 338338.