Throughout the year are countless colourful local events, ranging from country shows, local fairs and summertime open air concerts to local guided walks, arts and food festivals, and children's events.

Some key annual events in the area are:

International Kite Festival, Weymouth (April/May)

The world meets up to fly kites of every shape and size on the beach at Weymouth

www.weymouth.gov.uk / www.thekitesociety.org.uk

Christchurch Food & Wine Festival (May)

A week long festival throughout the town celebrating local fare

www.christchurchfoodfest.co.uk

Gold Hill Fair, Shaftesbury (July)

A country fair held in one of Dorset’s most notable market towns

www.shaftesburydorset.com

Dorset Art Weeks (May/June)

A celebration of artistic endeavours of all kinds

www.dorsetartweeks.com

New Forest Show (July)

One of the largest agricultural and country shows with displays every day

www.newforestshow.co.uk

Great Dorset Steam Fair, Tarrant Hinton (August/September)

The largest collection of steam-driven machines anywhere in the world

 www.gdsf.co.uk

Dorset Food Week (October)

A week long series of events by the county’s food producers and retailers www.dorsetfoodweek.co.uk

We recommend that before your visit, you look at the following websites for further information on these and other events in specific areas of Dorset and The New Forest: