For up to date information on everything to see and do in Dorset visit: visit-dorset.com Dorset has miles of coastal and country walks to roam. Climb to the highest point on the South Coast – Golden Cap, where the views are breathtaking. Explore the stunning Jurassic Coastline on a 25 mile hike, part of the South West Coast Path, take a guided town trail, or, for something completely different, try trekking FOSSIL HUNT: Hire the right equipment and get advice from the wardens at Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre. FERTILE GROUND: The Cerne Abbas Giant has been attracting visitors for centuries. A real Dorset is famous for its Jurassic Coast – a stunning stretch of 200 million-year-old shoreline that has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The loose material on the beaches between Lyme Regis and Charmouth are the best places to look for fossils, or, you can join a guided fossil hunt walk from Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre or Lyme Regis Museum. Always check the Fossil Collecting Code of Conduct before setting out. Visit www.charmouth.org for details. At the centre of the Jurassic Coast lies Chesil Beach, an 18 mile pebble beach separated from the mainland by the Fleet Lagoon Nature Reserve. Drop in at the Fine Foundation Chesil Beach Centre run by Dorset Wildlife Trust to find out more. Jurassic World The Great Outdoors Bournemouth hosts the country’s largest free Air Festival each year. Portland North Dorset Trailway Old Harry Rocks Moors Valley Country Park & Forest Sandsfoot Castle with donkeys or llamas. Cycle routes take bikers into wooded vales, over windswept plains and through honey-hued villages en route to some of the UK’s loveliest pubs. Horse riders can enjoy an excellent choice of riding centres, stables and bridleways and golfers have superb courses on which to play a round. You will find plenty of opportunities to fish both inland and off the coast. For the family there’s leisure centres, swimming pools, softplay areas and sport activities such as archery, rock climbing, abseiling, paragliding and the heart-pumping, thrills of coasteering, quad biking, paintballing and dirt buggy riding. FOOD FESTIVALS: From cheese and chillies to seafood and organic gin, food festivals are very popular across Dorset. Enjoy the hustle and bustle of market day. You will find one somewhere in the county each day of the week. Regular Farmers’ Markets also offer fresh local produce directly from the producers. For details see: www.visit-dorset.com Market days ... Lulworth Castle Athelhampton House and Gardens What’s on ? Festivals, fairs and fireworks, shows, regattas and carnivals, Dorset is buzzing with events all year round. Art centres and theatres across the county provide a full programme of shows, concerts and exhibitions. Below is just a taster of what’s happening in 2024, you will find a full, regularly updated list online at www.visit-dorset.com. AUGUST CONTINUED... 3 Dorset Food & Arts Festival, Poundbury 3 & 4 Great Dorset Chilli Festival, Sturminster Newton 10 - 11 Christchurch Carnival 10 - 18 Swanage Lifeboat Week 14 & 15 Gillingham & Shaftesbury Agricultural Show 15 - 18 Purbeck Valley Folk Festival 15 - 18 We Out Here Festival, Wimborne St. Giles 17 Dorchester Cider Festival 17 & 18 Bridport Carnival & Torchlight Procession 17 - 31 Purbeck Film Festival Summer Open Air Cinema 22 Melplash Show, West Bay 23 - 26 Lyme Regis Folk Weekend 24 & 25 The Oak Fair, Sturminster Newton 26 Anonymous Festival, Dorchester 29 - 31 Bournemouth Air Festival 31 - 8 Sep B-Side Festival Fringe, Portland SEPTEMBER 5 - 8 B-Side Festival, Portland 6 - 8 Swanage Folk Festival 6 - 8 Swanage Railway Classic and Steam Vehicle Show 7 Bridport Hat Festival 7 & 8 Dorset County Show, Dorchester 7 & 8 Dorset Seafood Festival, Weymouth 8 Portland Parade 14 & 15 Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival 15 Weymouth Ironman 70.3 22 Wessex Heavy Horse Show, Gillingham 27 - 29 Arts By The Sea Festival, Bournemouth 28 Shaftesbury Carnival 29 - 5 Oct Gillingham Carnival Week OCTOBER 3 - 6 Swanage Blues Festival 12 - 19 Dorchester Literary Festival 14 Pack Monday Fair, Sherborne 18 - 2 Nov Purbeck Film Festival 26 & 27 Sherborne Castle Autumn Colours Weekend Late Oct Halloween events in Dorset NOVEMBER Early Nov Bonfire and fireworks events in Dorset 3 - 9 Bridport Literary Festival 9 - 10 Dorset Food & Drink Winter Fair, Athelhampton Mid Nov - Christmas Tree Wonderland, Early Jan Bournemouth 22 - 4 Jan Illuminate at Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens 23 - 8 Dec Town Christmas lights switch-ons 30 Nov - Artisans On The Beach, Swanage early Jan DECEMBER 25 Weymouth Christmas Day Harbour Swim 26 Swanage Boxing Day Dip Across Dorset during December there are Christmas markets, carols by candlelight, ice skating, pantomimes, festive shopping events and lots more. APRIL 20 & 21 Spring Countryside Show, Gillingham 24 - 28 Bridport Film Festival From Page To Screen 26 - 28 Bournemouth Writing Festival 27 Tank Museum Tiger Day, Bovington 27 & 28 Dorset Spring Show, Dorchester MAY 2 - 9 Sherborne Abbey Music Festival 3 - 5 Teddy Rocks Festival, Blandford Forum 4 Plein Air, Wimborne Minster 5 Shaftesbury Feastival 10 - 12 Swanage Railway Heritage Diesel Gala 12 Lulworth Castle Motor Show Mid May Baby swans at Abbotsbury Swannery - end June 18 & 19 Christchurch Cheese & Chilli Festival 18 & 19 Jurassic Coast Challenge 24 - 26 Bournemouth 7s Festival 24 - 26 Cursus Music & Cider Festival, Blandford 25 & 26 Abbotsbury Swannery Food & Craft Fair 25 & 26 Swanage Pirate Festival 25 - 27 Christchurch Food Festival 25 - 9 Jun Dorset Art Weeks 25 - 9 Jun Purbeck Art Weeks 27 Sherborne Castle Country Fair 31 - 1 Jun Swanage Fairy Festival JUNE 1 & 2 Family Fest, Wimborne Minster 1 & 2 Wessex Folk Festival, Weymouth 7 - 9 Wimborne Minster Folk Festival 8 & 9 Highcliffe Food & Arts Festival 8 & 9 Lyme Regis Fossil Festival, Lyme Regis 14 & 15 Bridport Food and Beer Festival 14 - 16 Upton House Food & Music Festival 15 Harry Paye Day, Poole 15 & 16 Swanage Fish Festival 20 - 22 Chesil Rocks, Weymouth 22 & 23 Shake & Stir, Southbourne 22 - 24 Weymouth Armed Forces Celebrations 23 - 30 Beaminster Festival 28 & 29 DorsetFest, Blandford Forum 28 - 30 Roads to Rail Swanage Railway 28 - 30 TankFest at the Tank Museum 30 Swanage Triathlon Festival JULY 7 & 8 Poole Sand Polo 12 - 14 Cerne Abbas Music Festival 12 - 14 Swanage Jazz Festival 12 - 14 Jurassic Fields Music Festival, Bridport 18 - 21 Wilkswood Reggae Festival, Swanage 19 - 21 Christchurch Music Festival 19 - 21 Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival, Tolpuddle 19 - 21 Wareham Carnival 20 - 27 Lyme Regis RNLI Lifeboat Week 21 Sherborne Classic & Supercars Show 25 - 28 Camp Bestival, Lulworth Castle 26 & 27 Proms In The Park, Bournemouth 26 - 28 Bridport Folk Festival 26 - 28 Poole Harbour Festival 27 & 28 Mudeford Arts Festival 27 & 28 Weymouth Food & Family Festival 27 - 3 Aug Swanage Regatta & Carnival AUGUST 2 - 10 Lyme Regis Regatta & Carnival 3 Stompin On The Quomps, Christchurch Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre
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