Last updated 07:40, Friday, 29 August 2008

MORE than 50,000 people are expected to be in Workington tomorrow for the Paint the Town Red festival.

RED TEAM: Proprietor Alice Turner, left, Gay Turner, and manager Leanne Heron at The Collection on Wilson Street, Workington, get ready for Paint the Town Red

Organisers and traders hope the event, sponsored by the Times & Star, will give Workington a massive boost and bring people in from all over the county.

One of the organisers, John Head, said: “There is a real buzz in the town now and a sense of anticipation. It’s finally hit people what an enormous event this will be for the town.”

His colleague Helen Irving added: “The real highlight is the fact it’s all free. Everybody has supported us so well and the whole community seems to have embraced the event.”

The town’s Rotary club has been a prime mover behind the summertime festival.

Organisers wanted to give Workington an event to rival the Maryport Blues Festival and Whitehaven’s Maritime Festival and hope they have found it with Paint the Town Red.

It is not known if it will become an annual event but a committee will be set up to decide after tomorrow.

More than 40 acts will perform at nine venues across the town, including comedian Ricky Tomlinson and stunt car driver Russ Swift.

There will also be cookery demonstrations, a talent show, catwalk challange, street entertainers and stalls.

Town centre manager David Fletcher said: “As developers we are over the moon. This means that we can now put a stamp on Workington as a venue for shopping and entertainment for the public.

“It should give people a friendly atmosphere and a smile. It costs nothing and will give people a lasting impression of what the town has to offer.”

Traders have welcomed the event.

John Bailey, owner of Derwent Bookshop, on Finkle Street, said: “Events like this will promote the town centre to a wider range of people and hopefully it will have a feel-good factor that will last longer than the day itself.”

Alice Turner, of The Collection on Wilson Street, said: “I think it’s great and I like to get involved in things like this because it’s very important we support the community. We would love to have more of these events.

“Hopefully it will generate more business and bring in a lot of people from outside.”

Pauline Mitchell, manager of Hospice at Home charity shop on Jane Street, said: “We are hoping that it’s going to put us on the map. We want it to encourage people to stay in Workington rather than go through to Carlisle for their shopping.”

More than 200 prizes will be given away during Paint the Town Red. The event has taken 12 months to plan and cost more than £45,000.