A splash of colour will be injected into Cumbria's winter, as one of the county's most popular festival-style events makes a return today.

Penrith is welcoming people for the sixth edition of the Winter Droving, an annual event which combines a fun fair, street entertainment, music, markets and more to truly say goodbye to British summer time.

This year's showcase will takes place throughout today and thousands of people are expected to line the streets.

Organisers of the event are billing it as a "must do" for people this weekend, saying the winter showcase brings quintessentially British eccentricity that harks back to the days of a wild land.

The Winter Droving is scheduled to take place on the old festival of Samhain, marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the "darker half" of the year.

The event promises more fancy dress, a mixture of bands and an end of procession finale from The Baghdaddies.

Spread across Penrith town centre, the festival boasts four stages with different acts playing a range of music from horns, balkan beats, folk, blues and drums with a specially-curated programme of street acts roaming the town.

Bryoney Fawn, producer for Eden Arts which runs the Winter Droving, said: "We've had lots of interest this year and there's lots of different ways for people to get involved.

"For example we have the big procession and the Drovers Cup featuring teams from Ast Signs, Crossfit Cumbria, Eden Police and Penrith Mountain Rescue Team.

"One things that's new for this year, is that we've had a new lantern made which is a wolf.

"We ran a crowdfunding campaign earlier this year and got some local schoolchildren to draw pictures of new lanterns.

"We then picked a winner through a Facebook competition."

Visitors are encouraged to wear dress up and wear masks for the masquerade procession - and their animals are also invited to get in on the act too. The event kicks off with a fancy dress dog competition, complete with a doggy fashion show and prizes for the winners.

The Drovers Cup sees local teams compete across traditional events including hay bale racing, pint pass, egg throwing, tug-o-war and Cumberland sausage eating.

As darkness falls the fire and lantern procession will take place.

A market will be in operation from 10am while the other festivities start from noon.

For a full timetable of the Winter Droving click here .