Verdala Palace will be opened up to the public for this year’s Mnarja festivities, with the winery in Buskett also made available for public viewing.

The Palace grounds will be opened to the public on June 29, with the winery opened on both Thursday and Friday June 29.

The event will feature several produce competitions, with separate categories for vegetables, fruit, cereals, loom and cotton. Separate animal- and livestock-related competitions will see sheep, goats, cows, horses, dogs, fancy poultry and rabbits compete to be named the best.

Events will kick off on June 28 at 6.30pm, with a parade of horse-driven carriages accompanied by the Dingli scouts and mounted police horses. President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca will be in attendance.

Market food and artisan stalls, musicians and other entertainers will keep the crowds entertained until midnight on Thursday and from 7am to 1pm on Friday June 29, when President Coleiro Preca will hand out trophies to the winners of the exhbition competition’s various categories.

On both days of the event a shuttle service from Triq l-Infetti to the Winery will be running every 30 minutes.

For more information and updated news about Mnarja festivities, visit the Nisġet Artna Facebook page.