A pair of longstanding traditions in the region will be brought together to open an annual festival.

The unique combination of apples and dance will be seen at the opening of the Daniel Owen Festival in the town in October.

A range of different traditional dance groups will perform, while people will also get the chance to have apples pressed.

Mold councillor Andrea Mearns, who helps organise the event, said: “This stems from the former widespread orchards in the region, which were an important food supply in Daniel Owen’s time.

“It is hoped that by highlighting the tradition of apple pressing it will encourage the local community to use the many apples from trees still growing in Flintshire.

“At the apples and dance event people are invited to bring their own apples to be pressed into juice, instead of the fruits going to waste.”

She added: “We will be promoting apple dishes, heritage varieties of apple trees and how they fit into the local environment as well as demonstrating the process of juicing using a cider press.

“Experts on heritage orchards from North Wales Wildlife Trust and members of local growing group, FlintShare, will be on hand to give advice and demonstrate apple pressing and other techniques.”

The event will take place on Saturday, October 14 in the Daniel Owen Square and Daniel Owen Centre from 11am until 4.30pm.

It forms the opening part of the week long Daniel Owen Festival, which celebrates the life and work of the Welsh-language novelist from the 19th century.

During the opening event, there will be dances from Morris groups Dawnswyr Delyn and Clerical Errors, while a new group formed especially for the Daniel Owen Festival’s Apples and Dance event called Tegeingl Tanglers will also perform.

Sides from outside the area have also been invited to dance on the Daniel Owen Square performance area.

The event will culminate on the evening with a dance at St Mary’s Hall, Mold, when there will be chance to dance to the bands who performed during the afternoon and drink apple cider.

People can still join one of the dance sides ahead of the event.

To do so, contact Gareth and Bev Thomas on 07544 895981.