Axminster is looking forward to a packed programme of events for the annual Cherry Fayre next week.

A Royal Charter awarded to Axminster in the early 1200s allowing the town to hold an annual fayre in honour of the Feast of St John the Baptist. 

Today, the event is known as The Cherry Fayre and a whole week of events are being organised by Light Up Axminster and other local clubs and organisations to mark the occasion. 

Events will get started with the traditional Raising of the Glove ceremony on Thursday, June 23. 

The Raising of the Glove ceremony is a key part The Cherry Fayre celebrations, as both have their roots in the ancient Royal Charter between King John and Williams Brewer. The document was accompanied by a glove as a sign of the King's power and authority, conferred by Axminster's Lord of the Manor upon William Brewer and granting Axminster the status of a Free Borough. 

The tradition continues today with the now Lord of the Manor, Jim Rowe, holding the glove aloft and hailing "The glove is up!" to mark the start of The Cherry Fayre. 

This year, the glove will be paraded through Axminster Street Market at 10.45am, coinciding with the ringing of the church bells. The Raising of the Glove ceremony will then be held on the Minster Green at 11am, followed at 11.30am by a community picnic organised by local charity Nourish.

Other events of the opening day of the fayre will include a coffee morning in the Church Rooms from 9am, and Music in the Minster with Saxminster, from 12.30pm.

On Saturday, June 25 there will be a coffee morning and table-top sale from 9.30am to 12noon at Axminster Heritage Centre, which will also be offering free entry for the day.

The Virtue & Honour Freemasons will also be opening the doors of Axminster's Masonic Lodge in South Street between 10am and 4pm for all to take a look inside and find out more about Freemasonry. 

Another highlight of the week will include Axminster Carnival's Vehicle Extravaganza between 10am and 4pm on Sunday, June 26 at Axminster Showground, where a wide range of impressive motor vehicles will be on display. 

The new Axminster junior parkrun will be hosting an event to promote the weekly run for children aged four to 14, which will be launching later this summer. Come along to Axminster Football Club from 9am to meet the volunteers and find out more.

The Cherry Fayre week will finish on Friday, July 1 with Axminster's Big Dinner, with residents and visitors invited along to Trinity Square and the Minster Green from 4pm to 9pm for live music, food producers and a street food market, family fun and games.

The finale will be held at the Community Waffle House, where Lyme Bay Radio's Lisa Galvani will be presenting her show with live music. 

Other clubs and organisations have contributed to the Cherry Fayre programme, with everything from fitness classes to live bands and Wimbledon screenings in local pubs included in the line up. 

Programmes are now available to pick up from local shops or click here for an online version.