A POPULAR vintage festival returns with the promise of being 'bigger and better than ever'.

The Ingleton 1940s weekend will be returning on Saturday and Sunday, July 2 and 3. The popular event has been running for 13 years but was postponed due to the pandemic.

Media and marketing officer Lisa Ward said it feels 'very strange' to be back.

"I am very excited," she said. "I feel like I am more excited because it has been a few years now and we want to make it bigger and better for everybody."

The roads gets closed at mid-morning and the whole village turns back in time to the wonderful 1940s era with shopkeepers dressing up their shop fronts and people donning the fashion of the day.

Ilkley toy museum will be attending with some toys from the era which will be displayed inside the church. There will be children’s games, a vintage hairdresser, military displays in the park, classic cars and military vehicles. A living statue of a spitfire pilot will likely be surprising a few people around the village.

On why the event is so popular, Lisa said: "I think more nowadays people are into vintage, fashion and I think people just use it as a way to escape real life and do something different.

"So many people come to these events and dress up and look gorgeous."