PREPARATIONS are underway for a Hampshire festival set to welcome autumn with a jam-packed weekend.

Now a regular annual event, The Hampshire Harvest Festival at Winchester Cathedral spans two days over the weekend of October 4-5, with everything from scarecrow competitions to interviews with ITV news anchor Alastair Stewart.

Throughout the weekend the free event features horse and carriage rides, falconry and poultry displays, vintage farming machinery, ‘Kidsroam’ farm, vintage fairground organ and Hampshire Farmers’ Market.

There will also be displays from this year’s nominated charity, The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Fund, The National Farmers’ Union, Sparsholt College, Hampshire Bat Society, Hampshire Honey and Bee Keeping Societies, Cathedral Stonemasons and Wessex Chalkstream and Rivers Trust, among others.

New for this year is the country dance and hog roast, from 6.30pm on October 4, with live music from The Threepenny Bits.

The scarecrow competition will be repeated following its success last year, and on the Saturday Winchester Morris Men and a Brass Band will perform, along with other street performers.

The festival is part of the cathedral’s tradition to give thanks, with the Cathedral Harvest Service at 3.30pm on the Sunday, when the address will take the form of interviews with representatives of Hampshire’s agricultural community, led by Alastair Stewart.

There is also a Hampshire Fare Lunch with The Dean of Winchester at 12.30pm in the Cathedral Refectory on the same day.

For tickets to the country dance and hog roast, and Hampshire Fare Lunch, go to winchester-cathedral.org.uk, or call the Box Office on 01962 857275.