Macclesfield is preparing to welcome in the Year of the Snake.

The town council is hosting a huge celebration for Lunar New Year on Saturday, February 1.

Dragon dancers, drummers, food and workshops will all be on offer.

The council's town centre manager Abi Sherratt said: "The town council have a fantastic programme of events planned for this year, and by making these events and the workshops free for the public to attend, we hope that they bring more people into the town who will then pop into the shops afterwards or buy some lunch."

Children will be able to take part in free craft workshops (Credit: MTC)

The festivities get underway at 11am with a traditional dragon dance, followed by a drumming display from Conundrum.

At 11:30am the dragon, drummers and zodiac animals created over the years by Art Space will parade down to Park Green, where at midday the doors to the United Reform Church will be thrown open.

Members of the public are invited into the URC to take part in craft sessions including faux stained glass snakes, shadow puppets and badge making. 

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Visitors will also be able to take part in a large scale art work, by creating a hand print scale to go on a large snake.

There will also be samples of Chinese food available to taste alongside a free fortune cookie (until stocks run out), all accompanied by traditional Chinese musicians.

For adults or those with older children, hop over the road to the Silk Museum who will be hosting Tai Chi with Master Xianglin Lee in the Machine Gallery at 12.30pm and 1.30pm.

Meanwhile teachers from the Confucius Institute will be teaching traditional calligraphy in the classroom from 12.45pm and traditional papercutting in the upstairs gallery from 12.30pm.



Adults and older children can take part in a Tai Chi session with Master Xianglin Lee (Credit: MTC)