MAUCHLINE will welcome hundreds of visitors with a range of fun and traditional activities.

The Holy Fair makes a welcome return to the community diary for the 16th staging of the event which is run by a team of volunteers.

It gets underway at 11am on Saturday, May 27, when Ayr Pipe Band marches from Mauchline fire station to the main stage in the car park at The Bleaching Green.

Solo piper Stewart Allan will officially open the event, with entertainment following the ceremony which includes Cumnock Highland Dancers and Matt Scott.

In and around the green will be more than 60 stalls, face painting, water spheres, Disney characters mingling with the crowds and Bunny Luv starring several fluffy rabbits.

Having left the opening ceremony, the pipe band will make its way to Mauchline Parish Church where it will continue to deliver some Scottish airs.

Also at the church is a schools’ poetry event, Rae of Sunshine who are two young accordion players and an organ recital by Stuart Paton.

Further afield, is a display of vintage tractors in Kilmarnock Road, and Owl Magic in the parish church kirkyard as well as kiddies rides in Loudoun Street car park.

No Holy Fair is complete without the Bard and Burns Museum and Nanse Tinnocks will be open throughout the day, while the Rabbie Burns truck will be at the top of Castle Street.

Bringing the fair to a musical close will be The Stumblers, who will perform on the main stage from 4pm, with the fair scheduled to end at 5pm.

They are described as a modern Scottish folk band which combines Celtic melodies with protest-era folk with a bit of bluegrass and punk rock thrown in. Drivers are advised that free parking is available on the playing fields just off Barskimming Road.

A spokesperson for the organisers said: “This is Mauchline Holy Fair Group’s third Holy Fair since taking over from Mauchline Burns Club in 2015. The overall cost of the event is a five-figure sum and we cannot solely rely on grant funding. There are so many costs involved from thousands of pounds to hire a stage to the smaller costs.

“Hopefully people will have a great day and when they see our red buckets coming around will pop in a few pennies as it all adds up.”