THE BEST of the borough will be celebrated at Trafford Live when the town hall and Emirates Old Trafford open their doors for the free festival this summer.

Lancashire Cricket will play its part by hosting a Fan Village where supporters can enjoy three-hours of non-stop entertainment with live music, boundary performances, themed nights, plus games, activities and plenty of food and drink.

The Emirates Old Trafford Fan Village will be free to enter on the day, with reduced ticket prices available for Trafford residents to watch Lancashire Lightning take on Northants Steelbacks in the Vitality Blast match from 2.30pm.

A reduced ticket price of £5 for adults and just £1 for kids is available to celebrate Trafford Live.

Daniel Gidney, Chief Executive at Lancashire Cricket Club, said: “We are thrilled to be teaming up with Trafford Council and getting involved in Trafford Live.

"We have a fantastic relationship with the council and we are really looking forward to being part of this long-standing community event.

“It is a brilliant event for the people of Trafford to attend and we hope to welcome as many local residents as possible through the gates at Emirates Old Trafford to watch the likes of Jos Buttler and James Faulkner in action for Lancashire Lightning’s fixture against Northants Steelbacks.”

In addition to the Fan Village at Emirates Old Trafford, the town hall will showcase the best of the borough’s sports, history and culture with events for both young and old to enjoy and take part in.

The free event, which will be held within the grounds of the Town Hall on Talbot Road and the Foster’s Fan Village at Emirates Old Trafford will be open for all to attend.

Visitors can experience a host of events, activities and displays provided by some of Trafford’s best loved institutions throughout the day.

Joanne Hyde, Corporate Director of Resources at Trafford Council, added: “Trafford is home to some of the best sport, culture and leisure attractions in the world as well as boasting fantastic grass roots and community organisations.

"At Trafford Live we bring all of these together in a fun filled celebration and this year we have joined with our partners at Lancashire Cricket Club to make the day better than ever!

“I hope everyone who attends is able to get a real taste of the great opportunities our Borough has to offer.”

Lancashire Cricket Foundation Chairman, Bobby Cross, said: “We’re delighted to continue our support of Trafford Live this year. We have been involved in the event for a number of years now and it’s fantastic that a Vitality Blast fixture at Emirates Old Trafford has been incorporated into the day.

“Lancashire Cricket has a responsibility to get more people involved in the game and we can do this through events like this, or children playing for the first time via the All Stars Cricket initiative."

He added: “I hope everyone who attends has a fantastic day.”

Trafford Live, which is organised and run by the Trafford Partnership, will run from 11am – 4pm on Sunday, July 8.

It will include the following zones:

At Lancashire Cricket Club

Emirates Old Trafford Foster’s Fan Village – Access to the Foster’s Fan Village, with reduced price tickets for Trafford residents to attend the Lancashire Lightning v Northants Steelbacks fixture (pre-booked only). There will be live music, street performers, family games and activities…Plus appearances from lovable mascot Lanky.

At Trafford Town Hall:

Armed Forces – Celebrate the contribution to Trafford of our Armed Forces with Army vehicles, handle military objects with Imperial War Museum North and meet some local veterans.

Trafford Libraries - Join in the fun with story time and craft sessions with Trafford Libraries, and of course our free bouncy castle!

Sports arena - Get active with Trafford’s sporting clubs, scale new heights on the climbing wall and meet the mascots.

Waterside Arts Centre - Come on down to the Sunken Garden where Waterside will entertain you with creative activities, inspiring performances and exciting events.

National Trust - Learn bush craft skills with the National Trust, make a bird-feeder with, take home a herb basket and get into recycling and composting.

Emergency vehicles - Take a look around emergency vehicles with the people that keep Trafford the safest borough in Greater Manchester.

Trafford street party - Be inspired by local voluntary groups and find out how you can get more involved in your community.

Local heritage - Take a stroll around the Town Hall, visit the Mayor’s Parlour, see the civic silver and find out fascinating facts about the history of Trafford.

Tickets can be purchased for Lancashire Lightning’s Vitality Blast fixture against Northants Steelbacks on lancashirecricket.co.uk/tickets or by calling 033 33 202 833.