A NEW festival and market celebrating the arts came to Kendal’s riverside.

The banks of the River Kent and K Village’s malls played host to the art extravaganza.

The festival, called Kendal Summer Arts, was organised by the Kendal Arts Community and shopping complex K Village.

Some 3,000 people attended the weekend-long event, designed to promote Kendal-based artists, artisans, craft workers, writers and musicians.

Visitors were treated to exhibitions and stalls featuring paintings, framers, buskers, cake decorators and even tea bag painters.

Evelyn Sinclair, from the Art-Tea Company, Kendal, creates intricate art work by painstakingly decorating tea bags.

She said: “It was very well organised. I would come back again next year. It was a great opportunity to meet with other artists.”

Mandy Dixon, managing director of K Village, said: “The atmosphere was fantastic and the riverside was the perfect setting.”