BARGAINS are up for grabs as Maldon's Fiver Festival returns, with shops offering deals to their customers.

Maldon High Street shops will be putting on special offers as the £5 event is back in town from July 2 for a fortnight.

The Fiver Festival event aims to highlight the contribution to the economy that local shops and businesses bring.

There are three events per year and the last one in March saw more than 20 businesses in the High Street taking part.

Town organiser Allison Gray said: “The independent shops and businesses are what makes our town special and unique.

“The community support for local businesses has been amazing during lockdown, but it is easy to slip back into old shopping habits now that things are returning to normal.

“Fiver Fest shows that a small change in your spending habits can really make a difference to our high streets.

“Just by diverting £5 of our weekly spend to local independents we give them a fighting chance to thrive and to keep our high streets alive.

“Fiver Fest makes that easy and it's fun. We have butchers, books, gifts, beauty and more all taking part.”

The campaign is run by Totally Locally, a grass roots high street organisation that works with high streets.

More than 100 towns and thousands of businesses around the UK take part in the event bringing £5 offers to their customers.

Totally Locally founder Chris Sands said: “It’s a campaign that sees incredible offers from £5 massages, to £5 veg boxes, £5 walking tours, £5 lunch deals, £5 ghost story-telling, £5 axe-throwing sessions and even £5 Scottish dance lessons.

“Independent business owners are really inventive with their offers, and we encourage them to also promote their neighbouring businesses offers too.

“Fiver Fest is about everyone working together to promote their town and high street as a whole, instead of individually.

“If lots of shops have great offers on, the trip to the high street is really worthwhile and fun.”

This summers festival begins today and deals will continue for two weeks. 

The event is sponsored by Borough Flooring and Home.