ALTHOUGH Saturday is already marked in people’s diaries because of the royal wedding, at Quinton Methodist Church the day will be of note due to the popular art and craft festival.

The festival, which runs from Friday (May 18) to Sunday (May 20), is also planning to broadcast the wedding – in case visitors could not bear to miss the big occasion.

Also included to capture the spirit of the day, will be alcohol-free fizz to toast the royal couple.

But the Festival – which is a regular event in the church calendar, with well over 600 visitors each year – will once again feature about 250 paintings and drawings from artists all over the West Midlands, many of which will be for sale.

Displays of wood crafts, weaving, handmade jewellery, ceramics, greetings cards of every description, needlework and textile printing make up the 24 craft stalls – more than ever before.

In addition for keen gardeners, there will be a sale of a large variety of spring and summer plants, suitable for gardens large and small, window boxes, garden tubs and baskets.

The exhibition will be open from 11am until 5pm on Friday, from 10am until 5pm on Saturday and from 2pm to 4pm on Sunday. Admission will be £1 and the arts café will be providing food and refreshments all day.

The festival will be formally opened on at 10.30am on Saturday by the Lightwoods School Choir, alongside Bhangra Music and the MP for Halesowen and Rowley Regis, James Morris.

But before that, on Friday evening the church will host a night of choral music from ENCHANT featuring the singer/songwriter Paul Edwards.

Tickets, costing £8 for adults and £4 for children, will be available on the door or by calling 0121 421 6955.

A church spokesman said: “All money raised, including from the concert, will go to this year’s church project, the locally based Haven Community Project.

“The Haven, as its name suggests is a safe place for people of all ages to come together for support and guidance in many areas of life.”

For more information about the charity visit www.havencommunityproject.com.