Have a free great day out with all the family at Poole Family Arts Festival in the beautiful grounds of Upton Country Park on Sunday 2 September.

There will be live music, theatre, dance, storytelling, circus workshops and the opportunity for families to discover their artistic talents.

Classic Cars on the Prom are holding a show at Lulworth Castle on Sunday 2 September.

CCOP hold a weekly show at West Overcliff Promenade in Bournemouth every Sunday during summer with a line up of cars from 1915 up to the early 1980’s.

Lulworth Castle: 9.30am-6pm

Yet another action packed weekend is almost upon us.

There are lots of big events going on near Purbeck: take your pick (or go to them all!) from the Dorset Country Show in Dorchester, the Great Steam Fair near Blandford, the Ideal Home Exhibition or Ice Skating in Bournemouth.

If you’ve still got any energy left after all of that then get on your best high-school clobber and watch the drive-in showing of Grease in Norden as part of the Purbeck Film Festival.

After having to share the hillside with Homer Simpson, the Cerne Abbas Giant has suffered a further indigntiy after its phallus has been daubed with purple paint.

The vandal, who describes himself as the “West Country’s Purple Phantom” is believed to be a member of the Fathers 4 Justice group.

Many couples believe the Giant is a symbol of fertility and purple is apparently the international colour for equality. 

Just a reminder that the Great Dorset Steam Fair starts on Wednesday and runs until 2 September.

The show, at Tarrant Hinton near Blandford, attracts over 250,000 visitors a year and is one of the biggest of its kind in the World.

Take a nostalgic trip back to the heyday of Steam and enjoy demonstrations of over 200 working steam engines and fairground organs.

“Imagine being mesmerised by beautiful gardens aglow with thousands of flickering flames and fire sculptures, captivated by contemporary circus, theatre and dance in and around a working fishing harbour, then drawn on a dramatic after dark journey among ancient buildings and through twisting alleyways.”

The biggest programme of free outdoor performances ever to take place in Dorset is due to take place in September.

Among the many events organised by Inside Out include fire gardens in Bournemouth (19-21 Sept) and an exotic underwater world procession around Poole Quay (Sat 15 Sept).

The skull of a 130 million year old crocodile has gone on display at Swanage Museum and Heritage Centre.

The skull was unearthed along the Swanage coastline by Richard Edmonds back in March after he he saw it poking out of a rock after a recent cliff fall.

This crocodile lived during the cretaceous period and would have shared his patch of land with dinasours.

Beauty school dropouts should head for Norden Park & Ride on Saturday 1st September, as it hosts a drive-in showing of Grease as part of the Purbeck Film Festival.

The film show, starting at 9pm (parking from 8pm, cost £10 per car), is a first for the festival, which celebrates its 11th season this year.

So pack up your T Birds with blankets and get ready to see those Su-mmer Niiiiiiiiggggghhhtss out in style.

It’s a bank holiday weekend and the weather looks like it’s going to be great so here’s a reminder about what’s going on in and around Purbeck.

Get a taste for something French this weekend as a French Market comes to the streets of Dorchester. 

Combine your love of film with the great outdoors as the Purbeck Film Festival holds a weekend of films at Corfe Castle.

Don’t miss the Arts and Crafts show at Upton House or all the musical and sporting activities going on at the Poole Park Fest, which both run on Sunday and Monday.

Only 2 weeks to go until this year’s Swanage Folk Festival.

The Joyce Band, supported by Murphy’s Lore and Ben Campbell, kick off the festival with their Friday night performance at the Sandpit Field Marquee.

The main event on Saturday night is at Swanage Middle School and sees Show of Hands supported by Four Hand Reel and Bram Taylor.

Don’t miss the dance procession through Swanage on Saturday afternoon and there will be lots of activities to keep the kids entertained including music, dance and circus skills workshops. 

If you are in need of ideas and inspiration for your home then get down to the Bournemouth Ideal Home Exhibition at the BIC at the end of August.

There will be over 150 exhibitors and a special cookery theatre with wine and cookery demonstrations by experts.

BIC:  10am-5pm daily:  Adults £4,  OAP £2,  Children FREE

Poole Park is the venue for a festival of sport, leisure and music this Bank Holiday weekend.

Mr Kyps, Poole’s live music venue, is organising the music, which includes REM and Queen tribute bands as well as local blues bands  Swampfish and Ben Waters.

There will be plenty of sporting activities to watch or take part in, including: canoeing, wind surfing, dinghy sailing, rock climbing and kick boxing.

If you like a slower pace of life then the arts and crafts stalls, Indian head massages and alternative therapies on offer might be more up your street.  

Poole Park Fest 07:  Sun 26 (11am-7pm), Mon 27  (11am-5pm):  Parking £2 Civic Centre & Multi-storey car parks

The main event at this year’s Dorset County Show will be Monster Truck Racing.

These 15 feet high beasts will be tearing around the main ring, jumping cars and perfoming other amazing stunts.

Due to the foot and mouth restrictions there won’t be any cattle, sheep, pigs or goats at this year’s show but other events include a festival of hounds and a falconry display. Children also get free entry this year.

Dorchester Showground:  Adults £12, Children (under 16) FREE

If you are lacking energy today then spare a thought for the 1500 international competitors who are taking part in the Ironman UK Triathlon.

The event, which is centred around the grounds of Sherborne Castle, includes a  2.4 mile swim across the Castle’s lake, a gruelling 112 mile bike race - which comes down as far as Dorchester - and to really finish them off, a 26 mile marathon.

The streets of Dorchester will have a little oh la la this August Bank Holiday weekend when a French Market comes to town.

A group of stallholders from Rouen in Normandy will be offering their wares, which includes French delicacies, leather goods, clothes and confectionary.