MORE people than ever donned their dancing shoes to bring in the summer’s end with a “brilliant” line-up of local music at Cinderford’s annual festival last weekend.

This year’s ‘Cindyfest’ took place on Sunday (August 28), with family attractions, food and drink and a vibrant bill of local acts which spanned the whole day.

The stage was set at The Triangle in the town centre for the festivities to kick off at midday, with local duo Ann Teek delivering a “lively” set of dance and sing-along numbers from the 50s through to the 70s.

Next up was acoustic artist Olly Marshall who pleased the crowd with some laid back covers, followed by the “mischief, madness and mayhem” of blues rock band Taffy Was A Thief.

Local singer Onika Venus (pictured, below) brought her original reggae and soul vibes to the stage along with her six-piece backing band, before local trio Small Dogs Bite entertained the audience with a dynamic set of post-punk rock.

The penultimate band of the evening was Forest-based rock band Mirages, who performed their energetic set of original “bluesy, grungy alt rock”.

And the audience danced their way into the night with two sets of sing-along rock and pop classics from headliners MK Experience.

Local businesses including Monmouth-based Chinese eatery Happy Dumpling 365 were set up next to the stage, while Cinderford’s own Eats Treats, Truly Scrumptious The Dog House and The Golden Lion were among those supplying food and drink across the town.

Youngsters were out in force decorating the streets with brightly-coloured chalk drawings, and a well-frequented bouncy castle also provided hours of alternative entertainment in front of the stage.

Locals posted on social media praising the event, which was organised by Cinderford Town Council together with Gloucestershire-based charity The Music Works.

The organisers described this year’s festival as one of the best to date.

One festival goer commented: “Fabulous vibe in The Triangle. Well done to everyone who organised this event. Such a great turnout.”

Another added: “Brilliant entertainment - rounded off well with MKE.

Well done everyone!’’