PREPARE to be thrilled by some breath-taking new acts and entertainment at this year's Cotswold Show & Food Festival taking place on July 4 and 5 at Cirencester Park.

With over 30,000 visitors passing through its gates last year, the Cotswold Show and Food Festival has firmly established itself as a must-see date in the country show calendar, winning the coveted Cotswolds Tourism Event of the Year award in 2015.

Now in its 27th year, the Show is one of the region's most popular rural events, with its winning combination of varied family entertainment programme, activity arenas, and 200 trade stands and artisanal food stalls, all showcasing what's best about the British countryside, its history and traditions.

Taking place this year on 4 and 5 July, the Show is once again hosted by its founder, Earl Bathurst, in 100 rolling acres of Cirencester Park, and looks to set to surpass all expectations with an expanded programme of activities and demonstrations plus a brand new Cookery Theatre - an addition to the recently-introduced Food Festival - featuring talented chefs from award-winning Cotswolds hotels and restaurants including Jesse’s, Wild Garlic, The Kings Head and The Potting Shed.

Commenting on the Show's continued ethos of "Where Town Meets Country", Earl Bathurst explains the vital role the Show plays in showcasing rural industry/ “It’s important to us that we can show what happens and why in the countryside, he said. “Many traditional skills are being lost as new technology overtakes them but our display shows that many are still being used every day.”

The Show's Apsley Arena once again provides the central stage for countryside pursuits, including rare breed displays, falconry, gun dog demos from Reedlands Retrievers and sheep shearing competitions. In their own arena is a dog agility course and a fun dog show judged by TV vet, Joe Inglis.

In addition, the Traditional Rural Skills area plays host to blacksmiths, beekeepers, fish smokers, saddlers, thatchers and woodcarvers and more - and perhaps a chance to try your hand at some of these ancient trades for yourself.

Animal lovers will be delighted to hear that there are more animals than ever at this year's Cotswold Show - from goats to meerkats and even a skunk - while equine enthusiasts can expect to be thrilled by the high speed, highly-skilled miniature scurry driving.

Horse whisperer, Gary Witheford, is back this year, along with demonstrations from Parelli Natural Horsemanship.

From four legs to four wheels, Moto Stunts International, one of the UK's largest car stunt display teams, will be thrilling the crowds with daredevil quad, motorbike and car jump stunts, whilst freestyle mountain bike stunt team, Zero Gravity, have some spectacular displays lined up.

To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II this year's Show hosts an air display by one of the best‐loved British aircraft of all time: the iconic Rolls-Royce Supermarine Spitfire PS853, honouring the sacrifice and courage of the pilots that flew them, and the men and women who built and maintained them.

With the help of its visitors The Cotswold Show has a philanthropic mission too, raising funds for local charities including The Blue Cross, Royal British Legion, Cirencester Hospital League of Friends, and the RNLI, among others.

Of course, the Show sponsors play a vital role in making this annual event possible, with 2015 Show partners BPE Solicitors and Moore Allen & Innocent supported by a range of local businesses.

* To find out more about this year's Cotswold Show & Food Festival and to buy discounted advance tickets, visit the Show website: www.cotswoldshow.co.uk

* Pick up this week's Wilts and Glos Standard for the chance to win a family ticket to the show.