AS we celebrate the arrival of the New Year, the Worcester News has put together a list of the fun and exciting events happening in the county in 2018.

Many familiar and popular events will make a welcome return during the year but there are also some new and potentially fantastic things to look forward to.

Worcester Stands Tall

Next summer will see amazing giraffe sculptures appear throughout the city as part of a major arts project.

The Worcester News is a media partner for the Worcester Stands Tall concept, which is being billed as the biggest mass participation art event in the city's history.

Around 25 giraffe sculptures will go on display to form a trail through city streets, and they will eventually be auctioned off to raise money for St Richard's Hospice.

The giant giraffes will also be joined by baby ones, designed by local school children.

For more on the project visit worcesterstandstall.co.uk.

Top flight cricket returns to Worcestershire

Cricket lovers will be relishing Worcestershire Cricket Club's return to the Specsavers County Championship Division One after a two season absence.

The club secured promotion and the division two title in September and supporters will be hoping the club takes this momentum into 2018.

The new season begins with an away fixture at Hampshire on April 13.

The club will also be hoping to do well in the Royal London One-Day Cup, and popular T20 Blast competitions.

For more visit wccc.co.uk.

Worcester Gin Festival

Worcester's first official gin festival will be tingling the taste buds during the May Bank Holiday weekend, May 5 and 6.

Preparations are already underway and the plan is for the festival to be held at the Guildhall, split over two sessions, in the afternoon and evening each day.

Organisers are aiming to have a range of 100 plus gins with exclusive offerings, tasters and talks during the event.

Gin lovers will also be able to enjoy food and live entertainment at the event.

For more visit worcesterginfestival.com.

RHS Malvern Spring Festival

More than 100,000 visitors will be expected to again descend on the Three Counties Showground in Malvern, for the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) Malvern Spring Festival between May 10 - 13.

The event will be in its 33rd year in 2018, and over the years it has become RHS' biggest event outside of London.

Feature gardens will impress the crowds, while demonstrations and talks will no doubt be given by celebrities again in 2018, after the appearances of Alan Titchmarsh, food writer Mark Diacono, and BBC Gardeners’ World presenters Carol Klein, Adam Frost, Monty Don and Joe Swift in 2017.

For more on the spring festival visit rhsmalvern.co.uk.

Worcester Foodie Festival

After the success of recent years the popular foodie festival will be back in the summer.

Food lovers will be hoping for an event similar to last year which featured 69 food and drink stalls lining High Street and the £20m Cathedral Square.

The event, organised by Worcester BID, also saw cooking demonstrations from celebrity chefs Richard Fox, Jean-Christophe Novelli, Lizzy Hughes as well as masterclasses by local businesses in 2017.

For more on the food festival visit worcesterbid.com/foodie.

Worcester Carnival

The carnival parade made a triumphant return after an absence of more than 20 years in 2017, and next year’s event promises to again be spectacular.

Last year’s colourful parade brought a great atmosphere as crowds lined city streets and enjoyed the floats from various Worcestershire groups and organisations.

Next year’s carnival is scheduled for Saturday, July 7.

For more visit worcester-carnival.co.uk.

Worcester Festival

The festival for the people of Worcester has grown since 2003 into something everyone looks to forward annually.

Being held for a fortnight every summer the festival, organised by Worcester Live, is full of markets, live music, tours, performances, competitions and classes as well as talks, workshops and much more.

Events are free so they can be enjoyed by the biggest audience possible, and the event culminates in the spectacular St Richard's Hospice firework display held on August's Bank Holiday Monday.

For more on the festival visit worcesterfestival.co.uk.

Sunshine Festival, Upton.

Thousands of festival-goers will again descend on Upton for the Sunshine Festival during the August Bank Holiday weekend, August 24 -26.

The festival has grown from small beginnings during its eight year history, now reaching a point where annually it is a multi-stage family friendly event attracting more than 6,000 people, with 4,500 camping on the site.

In previous years acts such as the Bay City Rollers, Sister Sledge, Midge Ure, Atomic Kitten, Blue, Kim Wilde and Sophie Ellis-Bexter have performed.

Already announced for 2018 is Status Quo, with more names to be confirmed in the new year.

For more details visit uptonfestival.co.uk.

Worcester City Run

The Worcester City 10K, the Worcester City Half Marathon and the Young Athletes Run attracted 4,000 participants last year, and organisers will be hoping for a similar amount in 2018.

The 10k was originally founded by former Olympic runner Steve Cram in 2014 and after the event grew the half marathon was added for the first time last year.

Famous names have previously taken part including 11-time Paralympic gold medal winner Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson who was involved last year.

For more on the event worcestercityrun.com.

Victorian Fayre

The year comes to end with the popular Worcester Victorian Christmas Fayre.

The event is one of the leading themed street markets in the region, and always attracts thousands to see the stalls, musical entertainment and performances, and to have a go on the classic fairground rides.

Annually the event brings in an estimated £7 million to the local economy.

This year's 25th celebrations were spectacular and organisers, Worcester City Council, will be aiming to ensure next year's fayre is another success.

For more on the event visit visitworcestershire.org/worcester/worcester-christmas-fayre.