It all kicks off by the pond.

Dancers from many local schools will be performing for your delight to officially launch Watford Live! 2014 outside Modello’s on the Parade on Sunday, June 1 from 11am to 4pm.

More dancing comes courtesy of Watford Folk Dance Group, who will be offering you the chance to try some traditional English country dancing at various dates throughout the festival at Christ Church Hall in St Albans Road, while there is another group dance performance by the pond on Sunday, June 15 from 11am to 5pm, and contemporary street dance taster sessions for seven- to 11-year-olds at Harebreaks Community Hub on Tuesday, June 17 from 5pm to 6.30pm, and again on Friday, June 27 from 6pm to 7pm.

Art lovers can enjoy a four-week art workshop, Is Self Portrait Relevant?, at the LP Café on the Parade from Tuesday, June 3, or Portraits in Pastels by Watford and Bushey Arts Society at Beechen Grove Baptist Church, also from Tuesday, June 3.

Many of the community groups and arts organisations from Watford will have stands at the Community Arts Fair by the pond on Saturday, June 7 from 10am to 4pm, or you can go and browse the artworks at the DRUM Annual Art Exhibition, at Parkgate Youth and Community Centre on Saturday, June 7 from 10am to 3pm.

There are also art demonstrations of art techniques and card-making at Rebble Pebble on the Parade on Sunday, June 15 from 2pm to 4pm, and guerrilla knitting and wheat pasting workshops at the bandstand in the town hall square on Saturday, June 28 from 10am to 5pm.

The West Herts College Summer Exhibition also runs from June 18 to 20.

And finally, there’s music, music music – Silencio Unplugged at Watford Museum on Saturday, June 7 from 6pm to 10.30pm; Mamma Mia karaoke at Holywell Community Centre on Thursday, June 12 from 11am to 2pm; and music from the Watford Day Services and the Guidepost Trust at intu, on Friday, June 13 from 12pm to 2pm.

  • Watford Live! is at various venues around Watford from June 1 to 30. Details: watfordlive.org