TENBURY is to have a day dedicated to Mistletoe as organisers of the annual festival in the town brush off the disappointment of missing out on an Arts Council grant.

It has been decided to dedicate a day or celebration to the mystical kissing tree instead of following the previous pattern of holding a series of events over a number of weeks.

“We decided that it would be better this year to have a single great day when all the activities can come together,” said festival organiser Caroline Paletorpe, who had hoped to secure a grant of £11,000 from the Arts Council.

But undaunted by the setback Saturday, December 5 has been designated as the special day.

Using a variety of 'Celebration Zones' in the heart of town, the festival hopes to attract thousands of visitors from across the West Midlands.

The Kings Head public house will become a ‘performance zone' from 11am, with the Worcestershire Levellers performing music as diverse as folk, rock and shanty.

New for this year is the Mistletoe Open Mic sessions where anyone with a few acoustic or semi acoustic favourites can ‘take centre stage.'

The Mistletoe Music theme will also take over the town's Pump Rooms from 12 o'clock, with a competition to find the area's best singing group from any of the schools, colleges and community groups in the town.

There will be Christmas Craft and Vintage Fayre at the Kings Head in Cross Street from 11 until 5 and the Winter Fayre at the nearby Crow Hotel.

The Midnight Story Tellers, will head up the ‘activity zone' in Tenbury Library on Teme Street; presenting the Mistletoe Tales and a collection of Family Festive Fables.

Sculptor and wire artist Victoria Westaway will help families and children create their own mistletoe willow hearts.

At the heart are the Mistletoe Queen and her Holly Prince and their entourage that will parade through the town at 3.30pm followed by the crowning.