Surbiton Festival is back this year complete with a week of fun community activities including a grand parade, street fair, and the annual Royal National Lifeboat Institute’s (RNLI) rally.

Kicking off with the RNLI Rally on the River Thames along Queen’s Promenade, there will be an expected attendance of 40 boats taking to the water with a number of activities on the riverside as well.

Rally organiser Roger Jones said: “The rally is organised by Surbiton Sea Scouts, in association with the festival. We hope for a lot of boats to show their skills at boat handling.’’

Mr Jones says he expects 2,000 people to line the riverbank and hopes there will be stalls on Queen’s Promenade as well as a bouncy castle for children to enjoy.

More than 100 street market stalls have confirmed they will take part in the festivities offering numerous goods including handcrafted ceramics, jewellery, children’s toys, a variety of foods, handbags and tarot card readings.

The most anticipated part of the festival is the Grand Parade that is expected to draw hundreds of visitors with acts from the Royal British Legion Band, puppet show Punch and Judy, Rin Tin Tin (the Tea Lady), and 1st Hook Scouts and Guides Band all set to perform.

The scouts and guides band performs annually and will be leading the parade.

Assistant bandmaster Karen Shortland said: “This year the band will be playing many popular marches to lead the parade down the hill, just outside of Surbiton station.

“We’ve got a lot more youngsters in the band this year.”

The traditional style ‘marching band’ practise every Monday night and members play a selection of instruments from the drums to half-sixed flute instrument the piccolo.

Other parade acts will include a swing band, dancers, and Scottish Country Dancing.

Surbiton Festival, Rally Regatta, Queen’s Promenade, Surbiton, Saturday, September 22, 11am to 4pm. Grand Parade and street market, St Andrews Road at Victoria Road, Surbiton, Saturday, September 29, 10am, free.