Come February, residents of north Bengal will gear up for two back-to-back festivals which would be held at different locations across the region.

Uttarbanga Utsav, the annual cultural extravaganza that is hosted by the state government, will start on February 1 and continue till February 10.

On the other hand, the state tourism department, in association with stakeholders of tourism industry, will host the Bengal Himalayan Carnival — a three-day-long tourism carnival that will be held in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Gajoldoba from February 5 to 7.

“The Uttarbanga Utsav will be organised throughout north Bengal for 10 days. In Siliguri, there will be cultural functions at Baghajatin Park and a colourful procession to mark the event. Over 200 folk artists will perform at the procession,” said state tourism minister Gautam Deb here on Friday.

He was speaking on the sidelines of a preparatory meeting held at Mainak Tourist Lodge Complex for the fest.

“In Darjeeling district, cultural functions would also be held in Kalimpong, Darjeeling and Bidhannagar,” he added.

Sources said the organisers are planning to get chief minister Mamata Banerjee at the inauguration of the festival. On February 2, Mamata is supposed to arrive on a two-day visit to Alipurduar district.

“Appropriate communications have been made with the chief minister’s office. However, we are yet to receive any confirmation,” said a source.

The carnival — which is the first of its kind event to be held to promote tourism in the region — will have a series of activities and events like heritage walk, performance of music bands, photography exhibition and display of local handicrafts in three different locations.

“Also, people can experience the local cuisine at these locations. They can join boat rides and bird-watching competitions in Bhorer Alo, the mega tourism hub at Gajoldoba (located around 25km from Siliguri),” said one of the organisers.