A POPULAR annual arts and literature event is to return over the weekend.

The Daniel Owen Festival in Mold is a week of literature, creative arts, heritage and live performances, celebrating the life and work of prominent Victorian Welsh language novelist Daniel Owen.

This year’s festival - which takes place from October 19 to 26 - has a focus on the Mold Riots, which took place in the town 150 years ago when Daniel Owen was working as a tailor in Mold, and about to embark on a career in literature and public life.

The political unrest features in his work.

Apples and Dance, the colourful free opening festival event on Saturday (October 19), brings to life Victorian Mold combining traditional dancing and apple pressing in Daniel Owen Square.

There will be demonstrations of apple pressing to make juice and sample from 10.30am, organised by The Relish Club.

Attendees are invited to bring along any spare apples they have to be pressed.

From 11.30am there will be a feast of traditional Morris dancing, hosted by local side Tegeingl Tanglers.

Other groups performing will be the Mossley Morris Men, Wharfdale Wayzgoose, Mockbeggar Morris and Dawnswyr Delyn.

If the weather is wet the dancing will be inside the Masonic Hall.

Cambria Band will add their own stirring brand of Welsh marching music to the show.

Apples and Dance has been selected to be part of the month-long Taste North East Wales event, celebrating local food and producers.

On Saturday night at 7.30pm the renowned Welsh musician and composer Robat Arwyn will be performing at the Daniel Owen Centre for a musical evening and sharing the stories behind his popular songs.

One of his most famous compositions ‘Benedictus’ has been performed by The Priests, Bryn Terfel, Rhys Meirion and numerous choirs.

Tickets are £5 each and there will be a licensed bar selling local Hafod ales and Fairtrade wines.

In the Steps of the Rioters on Sunday (October 20) is a community walk from Leeswood to Mold and an opportunity to remember the tragic events at Tyddyn Street in June 1869.

The centrepiece of the 2019 festival is Theatr Clwyd’s performance of the Mold Riots.

The audience is invited to bear witness to one of Wales’ forgotten dark days as it is brought to life in this large-scale promenade show through the streets of Mold.

The riots erupted following tension between English and Welsh miners, and left four people dead.

The show, which has been written by Bethan Marlow and directed by Katie Posner runs from Monday (October 21) to Saturday (October 26).

The annual lecture will be presented on Tuesday (October 22) by Bethan Marlow, the writer of the Mold Riots.

Bethan will speak about her work, experience, the process of writing the drama, and discuss the themes that were present in Daniel Owen’s time and which are reflected in society today.

On Thursday local historian David Rowe will examine the historical and social context of the Mold Riots in his lecture Coal-cash: Casualties and Conflict, at Tyddyn Street Church. This event has been organised by Mold and District Civic Society.

A life on my knees on Friday is a talk by the eminent botanist Dr Goronwy Wynne, author of ‘A Flora of Flintshire’, who will be discussing his life-long interest in plants and their local habitats.

Throughout the week there are guided walks at places in Mold and the surrounding area associated with Daniel Owen, organised by the Friends of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley, Walkabout Flintshire, and the Clwydian Ramblers.

Members of the public are being invited to turn out and join in at the Daniel Owen Festival from October 19 to 26.

To find out more about this year’s programme, visit the Daniel Owen Festival web site www.danielowenfestival.com or Facebook or follow twitter @DanielOwen1836

Many of the events are free of charge. Tickets for festival events from Mold Town Council 01352 758532.