A COLOURFUL feast of entertainment greeted crowds at Puriton’s Party in the Park.

The eight-hour fundraiser stumped up the cash for a host of community causes, hoping to equal – or exceed – last year’s £2,000 total.

The rains may have been doing their best to darken the skies but the atmosphere was buzzing under the marquees at Puriton Village Hall.

Among the performers were the Chameleons Batonettes, who showed off their twirling skills, circle dancers, and singer James Fraser.

Youngsters could get their faces painted and try their hand at duck fishing or tightroping with the Somerset Rural Youth Project.

Barbershop singers brought some nostalgia to the event, and were a particular favourite of Peter Jones, treasurer on the committee for what was the fourth year running of the “proper community event”.

Peter said: “There were a thousand people, the field was full, with all our stalls all the way around, we couldn’t have fit many more in. It was a brilliant atmosphere all afternoon. It couldn’t have got gone much better, it was brilliant.”

Come evening, the gazebos that had sheltered the daytime stalls were brought up close to the stage to shelter dancers while the Uninitiated, Many B, Toni Anthony, and stomping band, The Thatchers, played well into the night.

From the pre-school to the WI, from the Church to the Allotments Society, a number of community causes will benefit from this year’s hoedown. And planning for 2014 is already underway…