THE rich cultural diversity of Yate and South Gloucestershire was celebrated at a special event last weekend.
Yate International Festival, which took place at Yate Heritage Centre on Saturday, featured music, dance and food from West Africa, India, Ireland, Poland, and of course England.
Yate Heritage Centre director David Hardill said: “The aim was to bring people together, to share experiences of different cultures and find out about each other in a relaxed and positive way.
“It was a really happy and relaxed event, with a lot of participation from visitors.”
More than 1,400 people attended the festival throughout the course of the day. 
Entertainment included African drums and dancing, plus music from an Irish ceilidh band.
Same Same But Different Theatre Company used puppets to explore some of the main concepts within Hinduism, and the South Gloucestershire Chinese Association provided calligraphy demonstrations and workshops, plus Chinese dancing.
There were also performances from local dance groups, including the Kathryn Hurley Dance Academy and Raysfield Junior School.
Reptile specialists provided a hands-on experience with reptiles and minibeasts, including cockroaches, at the White Lion pub.
Food could be bought on on site, as well as at St Mary’s Church, which was also offering visitors a bird’s eye view of Yate in a series of church tower tours. 
For further information visit: yateheritage.co.uk