Stilt walkers, snow globes and dancers will entertain the crowds in the lead up to a lantern parade involving hundreds of schoolchildren.

The Light Up Festival takes place in Maidstone town centre next month.

Pupils from nine schools will carry their homemade lanterns from County Hall through Week Street to Jubilee Square, along with a host of street performers, interactive light installations and live entertainment.

The festival is organised by Cohesion Plus and OneMaidstone working with a number of key partners; Maidstone council, Glow Arts, Visual Elements, Kent County Council, The Hazlitt Institute of Performing Arts and Mind MidKent.

Michelle Woodland, CEO of OneMaidstone said: “February is well known for its dark evenings and reasons to stay home and hibernate.

"For the first time in the County Town of Maidstone we are producing the Light Up Maidstone Festival in conjunction with key partners and organised by Cohesion plus.

"The festival aims to bring light into the town and encourage people to venture out to enjoy a variety of professional performers and view the beautiful lanterns on parade, created by the nine participating local schools.

“This free-to-attend first year event, created with well-being at the core, provides a digital wellbeing pack of resources, available by scanning the QR code on posters, flyers or online, to help anyone in need of advice.”

Gurvinder Sandher, artistic director at Cohesion Plus, said: “Everyone knows how tough January and February can be after the highs of Christmas, we are therefore really pleased to have co-produced the Maidstone Light Up Festival which will bring together local communities and artists and celebrate the County Town through the medium of light, arts and culture."

Cllr Claudine Russell, lead member for leisure and arts at Maidstone council said: “The parade of children who have all made their own lanterns will weave its way through the town centre from one end up at County Hall to the main Jubilee Square.

"They will be accompanied by entertainers and the parade will culminate in a dazzling light show."

The festival takes place on Friday, February 3, from 4.30pm to 7.15pm.

Visit www.onemaidstone.com/events/maidstone-light-up-festival/