The Long Buckby Feast takes place on Bank Holiday Monday, but other connected events run from Saturday though to next Sunday.

Last year was the first time the feast made its return to the village after being absent since the 1980s and well over 1,000 people went along.

This year the celebrations start on Saturday with a village produce and craft show opening at 1pm in the community centre.

Long Buckby has not held such an event for around 20 years and entries have been pouring in.

Organiser Simon Davey said: “We have received more than 150 entries across 40 classes in the show.

“It’s clear that competition in some areas is going to be fierce, and tensions are already rising among entrants. The Victoria sponge sandwich class looks to be particularly hard-fought.”

A day of family fun takes place on the village’s sports field on Sunday from 11am before the main event, the feast itself, on Monday when stalls and other attractions will crowd the Market Place.

The feast kicks off at 1pm and there will also be the parade and competition to find this year’s finest Long Buckby Feast Pudding.

Then next Friday there will be a barn dance and pig roast from 7.30pm at the community centre, the following day a community garage sale will take place from 10am, and rounding off the feast festivities next Sunday will be a share your garden event from 1pm.

Hilary Tibbs, chairman of the feast committee, said: “The village is really gearing up for feast week, and we are hoping that many absent friends and relatives will return to visit the village during the celebrations. This was always a major historical feature of the feast.”

More information on feast events is available on posters throughout the village, from www.longbuckbyfeast.net and Buckby Newsagents.

n Other events this bank holiday weekend include a rural market and summer fair in Upper Boddington in the Charles Cowper field on Sunday from 10am.

There will also be a fete in Everdon on Bank Holiday Monday at 2pm opened by Northampton Saints and England international Dylan Hartley.