A much-loved harvest festival which attracted thousands to central London is being revived in Coventry – and families are invited to help bring its 10ft centrepiece to life.

The October Plenty, which delighted crowds along Bankside and Borough Market for more than 25 years, is being reimagined for the streets of Coventry – with a free, family-friendly celebration of harvest traditions, storytelling, food and theatre hitting the road during October half term.

Festivities begin at St Mary’s Guildhall, where members of the public are invited to help create the festival’s iconic Corn Queene – a striking 3-metre-tall figure made from wheat, fruit and vegetables which will lead the city’s harvest procession.

From Wednesday 22 to Saturday 25 of October, visitors can drop in to the 700-year-old No Ordinary Hospitality-operated venue help weave corn into skirts, string vegetables into garlands, and contribute handmade decorations and seasonal produce – all while learning about the rich harvest traditions behind the celebration as the Corn Queene takes shape.

The figure will be built outside in the courtyard of St Mary's, but for this week only a GoCv entry rate (£11.20 for one adult and three children) which normally only applies to Coventry residents will be extended to anyone who comes to take part.

The festival culminates on Sunday 26 October, when the completed Corn Queene will lead a vibrant theatrical procession from the Cathedral Ruins through the city centre to FarGo Village, alongside the autumnal Berry Man – a captivating figure dressed in wild foliage and fruit – as well as dancers, musicians, and performers in a colourful, musical spectacle bringing age-old traditions to life to mark the changing of the seasons.

Once the procession arrives at FarGo Village, the celebrations will continue with an afternoon of entertainment featuring live folk music, traditional dancing, food from local traders, and interactive street theatre.

Highlights include "The Fabularium Fables" performed by Midlands-based performance company The Fabularium, a humorous re-enactment of the Execution of John Barleycorn, and conker fights with the Berry Man.

Younger visitors can head to the Story Orchard – where master storyteller Pat Ryan will share seasonal tales of magic, food and folklore among young apple trees.

The day ends with the ceremonial stripping of the Corne Queene, whose bounty of fruit and vegetables will be shared with the crowd.

Originally founded by the Lions part theatre company in the late 1990s, its new chapter in Coventry is being delivered by the Lions part, The Fabularium, and Bladder & String Theatre, with support from St Mary’s Guildhall, Coventry Cathedral, and FarGo Village.