The countdown is officially on for Saddleworth's most hotly anticipated event in the summer calendar as festival bosses tease an exciting line-up and promise a bigger bar with cheap pints.

WelliFest and the Saddleworth Show typically take place at Well-i-hole Farm every year over the course of a hot weekend in June, raising thousands of pounds for charities and local causes.

Last year, the family-friendly festival proved a scorching success as residents gathered below a flawless blue sky and the towering pots and pans monument to dance into the night.

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While the stage welcomed the Manchester Ska Foundation, the festival also had an impressive array of stalls for foodies, from Greek to Italian and deserts like donuts, crepes and Saddleworth's own Grandpa Greene's ice cream van.

The festival also catered well to the kids, with face painting stalls and a large fun fair comprised of swings, a merry-go-round, a bouncy slide, trampolines and more.

On the Sunday, the Saddleworth Show saw families pour into the farm again - this time with their furry family members for the dog show and some friendly dog games.

Categories of the show included the scruffiest dog, golden oldie, young handlers, best rescue, cutest puppy, happiest dog and best trick before the winners faced off in a final showdown.

Mahdlo's Youth Group and Rhodes Bank Choir also delivered, singing some feel-good hits over on the stage.

Again, youngsters had an ever wider selection of games to take part in - from Punch and Judy to painting, gymnastics and a laser maze.

Now, the Saddleworth Rotary and Oldham Metro promise an even bigger weekend of fun for the festival and show, which will take place on Saturday, June 29, and Sunday, June 30 respectively.

Gates to WelliFest open at midday, as does its new "huge" bar.

The Rotary said the bar, supplied by JW Lees, has "twice the capacity of last year's bar" which they hope will reduce waiting times.

Drinks are also capped at a reasonable cost of just £5, including larger, pale ale, cider, dark fruit cider, alcohol-free drinks and red, white and rose wine.

No food or drink is allowed to be brought into the event other than baby food and unopened plastic water bottles.

As for the line-up, resident DJ Bob Marshall will be warming up the crowd from 12 until 1.50pm.

Live music will then kick off at 2pm with the opening of a local blues and rock n' roll band, Mojo Rising.

A Fleetwood Mac tribute, called The Chain, will then start around 3.15pm, followed by Teal Band at 4.15pm who promise to bring an eclectic mix of covers from soul, pop and Motown.

Into the early evening, a female-fronted alternative rock band from Manchester, Scapegrace, will take to the stage at 5pm.

Ruff Trade will then be bringing Jamaican covers with a "Mancunian" twist from 5.50pm followed by a Beatles tribute act, The Threetles at 7pm.

Finally, the headlining act, Guns N Yorkshire Roses, will be taking over from 8pm until late.

With a little more than 50 days to go until the big day, tickets are still available starting from £5 to £10 for children between five and 16 and £20 for all ticketholders over 16. 

A family can also purchase a family ticket for £50, which will grant entry to two over-16s and three under-16s. 

As for the Saddleworth Show, doors open at 10am and attendees can look forward to more live music, a fun fair for the kids, the dog show, a duck race and an abundance of stalls from local vendors, including Dovestone W.I. Country Corner - a miniature village full of stalls from local traders, crafters and creators.

There will be tractors, a "dinosaur invasion", pony rides for children, magic shows, sand art and a showtime "circus" with workshops throughout the day on juggling, diablo, stilts and more.

Meanwhile, the duck race will start at 4pm on the River Tame alongside the show.

Saddleworth Show is organised in a joint effort by the Rotary Clubs of Saddleworth and Oldham Metro to provide an enjoyable weekend of entertainment, showcase local businesses and raise money for deserving causes.

All the profits from the show and festival go towards charity and raked in an impressive £30,000 last year.

For more information on tickets, visit www.wellifest.co.uk and www.saddleworthshow.co.uk.

If you have a story, I cover all things Oldham from food reviews and local business news to music and events, pubs, education, crime, property, health, community concerns and much more. Please email me at Olivia.bridge@newsquest.co.uk or send me a message on Twitter @Livbridge with your news.