THIS weekend will see thousands of visitors descend on Cirencester Park for the Cotswold Show and Food Festival.

Held at Cirencester Park, it remains one of the Cotswold’s most popular rural events, with its winning mix of family entertainment, activity arenas, and 200 trade stands and food stalls, and exhibitors showcasing the best of the countryside, its history, traditions and produce.

An expected 20,000 visitors will join the Earl and Countess Bathurst as they celebrate 30 years of the show for two days of spectacular arena attractions, top Cotswolds chefs in their own Cookery Theatre, a Gin Festival, hundreds of animals and over 200 trade stands.

Stampeding in to the Bathurst Arena will be Atkinson Action Horses with an astounding display of tricks and stunts.

There will be more horses, this time with falcons, with the Return of the Black Stallion and Falconry Display - dancing Spanish and Lusitano horses with falcons trained to chase a swung lure at over 100 mph.

Originally founded as a showcase for countryside pursuits, show visitors can expect to learn all about traditional rural skills through demonstrations and hands-on experiences.

They can also have a go at shooting clays and archery and watch the experts at work in displays of saddlery, beekeeping, wood carving, glassblowing and more.

The Food Festival element of the show continues with the cookery theatre featuring chefs from Cotswolds hotels and restaurants alongside the ever-popular Food Hall.

A performing arts area makes its debut this year with children from a number of local stage schools and dancing academies singing and dancing the weekend away.

To celebrate the anniversary, children 14 years old and under accompanied by an adult will get free entry.

Tickets for the show are now on sale at cotswoldshow.co.uk