AN official launch of a dog friendly scheme will take place in a Lake District town next month.

The start of the initiative will be signalled by pet owners taking part in The Great Ambleside Dog Walk, just one of the attractions at the town’s second Festival of the Fells, taking place from September 21 to 24.

Local businesses will be encouraged to show they are dog-friendly by putting an eye-catching sticker in their windows.

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The event has been getting a leg up from fell dog Max and his young sidekick Paddy who have become Facebook and internet celebrities promoting the experience of walking in the Lake District.

Owner Kerry Irving is bringing the pair of springer spaniels from their home in Keswick to take part in dog walk. It aims to raise money for the charity Freedom Wizard, which helps wheelchair users enjoy the great outdoors.

Freedom Wizard will be staging wheelchair test drives at the festival, which this year is bigger and better than ever with extra speakers and more events than the inaugural festival in 2016.

The line-up of speakers comprises: mountaineers Alan Hinkes and Simon Yates, film-maker Terry Abraham, environmental photographer Ashley Cooper, The Wainwrights in Colour author Andy Beck, polar explorer Craig Mathieson, Fellranger author Mark Richards, mines expert Mark Hatton, fell warden Sarah Anderson and legendary Milnthorpe fell runner Wendy Dodds.

Activities on offer include guided walks, guided wild swims, ghyll scrambling, abseiling, Nordic walking and electric biking. There will be a trail race, craft fair, an open-air food market, a free ‘worn wear’ walking gear repair session, mountain cinema and a repeat of last year’s popular duck race. For three days of the festival, the charity walking marathon Triple Spine Lakeland Challenge will criss-cross the area.

The festival is organised by Ambleside Together whose notable ‘Love Ambleside’ campaign was launched last year.

Holiday cottage company Heart of the Lakes has joined forces with Ambleside Together as headline sponsor for this year’s festival. Heart of the Lakes has more than 150 properties in and around Ambleside on its list of over 300 holiday cottages in the national park.

There will also be a comedy night and two free town-centre concerts featuring Room Full of Mirrors, Scrogan’s Run, The Mojo Band and Phil Saunders & Friend.

For festival details go to www.festivalofthefells.uk