THOUSANDS of visitors to Chester city centre enjoyed the chance to join a street party involving more than 40 businesses.

CH1ChesterBID hosted the now-annual festival on Watergate Street, featuring live music, food and drink samples, face painting, toy testing and a children’s treasure hunt on The Rows.

The street was jam-packed with tourists and local residents, all relishing the summer sun.

The free event has become a yearly fixture in the CH1ChesterBID ‘Summer in the City’ programme, which sees a full six weeks of activities taking place throughout the city to encourage visitors into the centre of Chester.

Emily Ghazarian, events manager at CH1ChesterBID, said: “Once again the Watergate Street Festival has been hugely successful, with local shops, bars and restaurants all showcasing their unique good and services.

"The public seemed to really enjoy themselves, which is why the festival has become a fixture in our summer programme.

“We’re extremely thankful to all the businesses who were involved and take the time to make Chester a wonderful destination to shop and dine. We already can’t wait for next year’s event.”

For more information about other Summer in the City events and activities taking place in Chester city centre, visit www.experiencechester.co.uk or follow @CH1Chester on Twitter.