A JAM-packed weekend combining three major events in the St Albans calendar has been announced for summer as part of the five-year tourism strategy.

The Alban Weekend will kick off with the annual pilgrimage on Saturday June 22, and concludes with the biggest St Albans street party ever held the following day, which will feature Britain’s Got Talent singer Alice Fredenham.

St Albans Folk Festival will also take place across the weekend and artists will be performing pop-up gigs in the Town Hall court room and cells.

The string of events hopes to showcase the city’s 2,000 years of history and remarkable heritage.

Leanne Douglas, St Albans council’s community development and projects manager, said: “We decided to join forces [with the cathedral and folk festival] and work together in order to get people to come in on that Saturday and stay for the whole weekend and go shopping or go out for dinner, so they really see what we’ve got to offer.”

The familiar 12-ft tall pilgrimage puppets will make their way through the city centre for the first time during the weekend and re-tell the story of Britain’s first Christian martyr Alban with a puppet show at the Town Hall.

Tables seating 500 will run through St Peter’s Street for the medieval themed party and free cultural activities, dancers and local food and drink stalls will be on offer.

The Rev Kevin Walters explained what he was looking forward to about the weekend:

“I think the fact that it’s going to go through the town centre, taking this event to the heart of the city. Every one will be able to participate in this event.

“This year the Alban Pilgrimage falls on St Alban’s Day itself, and we hope that many will come from near and far to share in this spectacular event.”

Beric Read, portfolio holder for community engagements and localism, said: “It’s really a case of making the most of what we have which is a wonderful cathedral event.”

He went on: “St Alban was about hospitality, so it makes sense to make it a weekend of hospitality and have this street party.”

Cllr Annie Brewster, Mayor of St Albans, will lead the procession on the Sunday alongside 200 schoolchildren and said she was extremely excited about the upcoming weekend: “The real excitement is that the procession is coming into the high street - it will be wonderful to bring it up to the city, I think it gives people more of a sense of ownership and of the city’s identity.”

For more information visit www.enjoystalbans.com