Farmers Markets Dorset Food Festivals Folk Music Fossils Festivals

Blandford Forum Georgian Fayre & Markets

Blandford Forum is unusual in that it is almost entirely Georgian in character. A fire swept through the town in 1731 which meant that the rebuilding programme at that time has brought about a town originating from the one period.

This is incredibly attractive to our eyes as not only is the town set off by a backdrop of typical Georgian architecture including porticoes and walled gardens, but the town recreates a Georgian atmosphere in its annual Georgian Fayre held on May Day where the residents dress in a variety of Georgian costumes. The day is held to celebrate the resurrection of the town after the fire. The streets in the town centre are closed to traffic from 7am to 7pm and are lined with stalls selling local produce and traditional locally made crafts. Street entertainers and a fair are also part of the fun. The Georgian Fayre is hugely popular attracting around 20,000 visitors! On the day there is parking just outside the town centre.

There is a good choice of attractions in and around Blandford Forum. The town is home to three museums, the Hall and Woodhouse Brewery Visitor Centre - famous for its real ales like Badger beer - and the world's leading steam fair, The Great Dorset Steam Fair is held nearby every year.

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The Great Dorset Steam Fair Blandford Forum

The Great Dorset Steam Fair is reputed to be the world's biggest steam and vintage vehicle preservation event. It has been held annually for forty years and attracts 200,000 people from all over the world! On a 200 acre site north east of Blandford Forum you can see working steam engines of all shapes and sizes and fantastic vintage vehicles including motorcycles, buses and old farm tractors and machinery. There are also heavy horse competitions, fairground rides.

There is also a whole music festival within the event with several stages where talent shows and live music is performed by a range of artists and tribute acts. There are also over one thousand traders and two thousand exhibitors at the event!

Camping is popular and with real ale aplenty you'll want to make sure you're not staying far away. A Food Hall offers a selection of locally made bread, cakes, pastries, fruit, jams, cheeses, sausages and pies. There is a tractor driver "shuttle bus" in operation to help you get around the huge site and you can buy tickets online. Check the weblink right.

The location of the site if using satellite navigation is postcode is DT11 8HX. Check out the link right for a wealth of information on the event and how to book your tickets.

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Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival

The Cheese Festival is a main annual event in Sturminster Newton's event calendar. It runs over two days and aims to bring a whole host of cheese producers together from all over the South West as well as raise money for local charities.

You can sample, and buy, cheeses as well as other locally produced foods and get involved in a series of cheese related events. Local crafts are also showcased and you might spot some more well known Dorset food producers like Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall who's made an appearance in the past.

Around the main Cheese & Food Marquee are all sorts of displays, stalls, music and events for all the family. It's held at Sturminster Newton's recreation ground just off the A357.

Check the link right for more information on the current year's Cheese Festival

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Sherborne Markets & Shopping

Sherborne has its roots in Saxon times from which it gets its name originating from the Saxon for clear stream. It was a capital of the old Kingdom of Wessex and two of the Saxon King's are buried in Sherborne Abbey. The town is fantastic for a range of historic architecture spanning medieval through to Georgian. Around the Abbey you'll find a cluster of fifteenth century buildings and on the outskirts are the two castles Sherborne Castle set around a Capability Brown lake and the ruins of Sherborne Old Castle.

The town itself is fantastic for an eclectic range of specialist and boutique shops. Antique shops are in abundance and there are regular antique fairs and auctions. Sherborne continues its market town role through regular markets every Thursday and Saturday, where you can pick up a whole range of fresh Dorset produce as well as the monthly Farmers Markets on the third Friday in the month.

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Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival

Over three days in July Tolpuddle sees the annual Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival. The Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum is the key organiser of the event which includes contemporary music, workshops, kids entertainment, poetry and political discussion and a rally and parade of banners.

Check the Events section of the Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum website, link right, for up-to-date information on this year's festival.

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Bridport Local Produce Markets

Bridport is a busy market town renowned for its local produce, markets and artistic leanings. A market has been held in the town for over one thousand years. The Farmers Market is on the second Saturday of each month and there are also markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Bridport also holds an annual food festival. Bridport Food Festival takes place in June and showcases local and organic produce, as well as the ideal opportunity to sample some of West Dorset's finest local products.

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Bridport Arts Centre - The Bridport Prize

Bridport has a strong tradition of appreciating the arts. In 1973 The Bridport Prize International Creative Writing Competition was founded here which has always attracted submissions from all over the country and overseas. Many prize winners have gone on to become household names. The competition is organised from the Arts Centre.

The Centre originates from an 1838 Wesleyan Chapel and a Georgian schoolhouse and now contains a two hundred seat theatre where regular drama productions and independent cinema are held. The Arts Centre also hosts a variety of exhibitions in its three galleries. There is also a cafe and bar.

Click on the link right for up-to-date information of what's on.

Bridport Arts Centre, South Street, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3NR. Box Office Tel: 01308 424204. Email: info@bridport-arts.com

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The Melplash Show Bridport

The last Thursday before the August Bank Holiday sees one of the biggest agricultural shows in the South West at The West Bay Showgrounds between Bridport and West Bay.

The Melplash Show brings people from all over Dorset to take part in horse and livestock competitions and where you'll finds marquees full of rural crafts, local produce and trade stands.

Check the weblink right for more information.

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Wimborne Folk Festival

Every June Wimborne Minster (or plain Wimborne as it's also known)hosts its main event of the year - the Wimborne Folk Festival. A variety of acts perform traditional English and Celtic music and dance in and around Wimborne Minster. There are also workshops and kids entertainment throughout the town during the festival.

This is the largest folk festival in the South of England and has been an annual event since 1980. It now lasts over a weekend and attracts musicians, morris dancers and folk acts from all over the country.

Being such a large event a festival campsite is set up in school grounds just eight minutes walk from the town centre. You can buy season tickets which include camping or a season ticket for just the festival itself. These give you unlimited access to all events during the festival. Alternatively you can buy individual event tickets but these are limited so you'd need to book early. Accommodation is likely to become scarce during the Festival so make sure you book early!

During the Folk Festival market stalls, craft and charity stalls and local traders are open during the event with the emphasis on supplying local produce and supporting local businesses. Check the weblink right for up-to-date information on this year's festival.

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Gillingham and Shaftesbury Agricultural Show

Gillingham and Shaftesbury Agricultural Show is one of the main annual events in the area. It usually takes place in August just outside the town at Motcombe.

There are a wide range of stalls and events including cattle, sheep and dog shows, horse riding competitions, a food hall and cookery theatre and, of course, traditional competitions such as vegetable growing competitions.

The Show is held at Turnpike Showground, Motcombe which lies just off the B3081between Shaftesbury and Gillingham.

Check the link right for up-to-date information.

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Gillingham Festival

Gillingham its own annual festival incorporating a wide range of events including a variety of music, theatre, dance, exhibitions, sport, food and wine, antique valuations, open gardens and classic cars.

Festival events stretch over two weeks in and around Gillingham including evening concerts and children's entertainment.

Check out the weblink right for information on this year's festival.

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Lyme Regis Fossil Festival

Every year Lyme Regis holds a Fossil Festival. The two day event includes activities, exhibitions and walks aimed at helping people to discover more about the Jurassic Coast, its geology and how it's shaped our knowledge of the Earth.

Fossil experts are on hand to identify any finds budding fossil hunters may uncover, and local fossil hunters display some of their finds and are on hand to answer questions.

Check the link right for up-to-date information on Lyme Regis' Fossil Festival.

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