Taste buds will be tingling in Chatham this weekend as the Chatham Maritime Food and Drink Festival returns for the bank holiday weekend.

Now in its sixth year, the festival will be held on the riverside at St Mary’s Island from Saturday, May 25 to Bank Holiday Monday.

There’ll be a packed line-up of delicious Kentish food and drink producers, live music on the bandstand and Dragon Boat racing.

Festival goers will be able to stroll along the riverside while they take their pick from more than 40 local artisan and award-winning Kentish food and drink producers.

Last year, more than £15,000 was raised for a number of charities, both at home and abroad.

“There are so many delicious things to sample, many of them award-winning and truly local as they’re grown and made in Kent,” says organiser Vic Hazell, of the Event Umbrella.

The waterside bandstand will host 19 local acts over the weekend, with folk to rock, country to jazz. Performers include Medway Lindy Hoppers’ resident band, The Spittin’ Feathers, folk singer songwriter Jonica Love and the Peninsula Big Band.

Also featured will be Cloud Nine Jazz, folk band The Old Country Crows, blues duo Brendan Power and Joe Jones, Ramsgate-based county group John Doggeral & the Bad Poets and The Cream Crackered Band, which specialises in rock ‘n’ roll tunes.

The highlight of the Sunday will be the Dragon Boat races organised by Medway Sunlight Rotary.

In addition to the food, drink and music, children and families will have plenty to do, including a fun fair and ferris wheel, plus a dedicated kids’ area, face painting and craft tent.

The dragon boats aren’t the only floating attractions - the tugs Kent and Barking will be on display, thanks to the South Eastern Tugs Society. Sponsors of the event include Wards Estate Agents and the Universities at Medway, Persimmons, Medway Sunlight Rotary, Gavin Jones and Nurture.

There is free entry to the festival, which runs from 10am to 6pm each day.

There will be free parking at the University of Kent’s Medway campus, and the marina, but not on St Mary’s Island.

For more info go online at cmtrust.co.uk

Read more: All the latest events across Kent