Dorset Events in July 2008
| 1-12 | Weymouth | Matchstick Fleet at the Nothe Fort. |
| 4-7 | Abbotsbury | Abbotsbury Music Festival presents Donizetti's Don Pasquale at the Abbey House Hotel Gardens. A classic light opera, fully staged and costumed, performed in English by the Garden Opera Company. |
| 5 | Langton Matravers | Langton Church Fete at St George's Church, Langton Matravers, near Swanage. Traditional church fete with tea, stalls and a may pole. |
| 5-6 | Weymouth | Western Counties ASA Open Water Swimming off Preston Beach. |
| 5-6 | Shaftesbury | Gold Hill Fair with a children's parade, music in the park, farmers' market, various stalls, Circus Beserkus workshop and evening entertainment, music in the Abbey museum, French market and stalls on Sunday, and fairground attractions. |
| 5-8 | Weymouth | J24 National Sailing Championships at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy. |
| 5-13 | Weymouth | Spirit of the Sea Maritime Festival featuring marine ex, seafood festival, moth world championships, triathlon and live music. |
| 6 | Weymouth | Dorset Tour Vintage and Classic Vehicle Rally and Display at Lodmoor Country Park. |
| 6 | Portland | Ten mile road race. |
| 6 | Broadstone | Take part in the Macmillan Dorset Bike ride, which is now in its 20th year, and enjoy the Dorset countryside. A choice of routes. This is a fundraising event for Macmillan Cancer Support. |
| 6 | Okeford Fitzpaine | Village gardens open, art exhibition in St Andrew's Church and homemade cream teas in the village hall in aid of church funds. |
| 6 | Stalbridge | The Dorset Gardens Trust 2008 Garden Day is at Thornhill House from 10am until 5pm. Entry is £5. Specialist plant sales, stalls, displays, lectures and a variety of refreshments. Call 01300 321087 for more information. |
| 7-20 | Weymouth | Weymouth Town Tennis Tournament at the Greenhill Tennis Courts. |
| 9-24 Aug | Weymouth | Splash'n'Dash Aquathlon Series at Bowleaze Cove from 7pm every Wednesday throughout July and August (no race 20th August; 6.30pm start on 23rd July). Finale Sunday afternoon on 24th August. Open water swim from Bowleaze Cove (various distances) and cross country run on enclosed traffic-free field (various distances). £9 per race, £55 full series in advance. Call 07752 902080 for more information. |
| 10 | Dorchester | Lakeside Magic - the magic of motown with special guest Alexander O'Neal at Kingston Maurward. |
| 10-13 | Weymouth | Henri Lloyd Weymouth Sailing Regatta in Weymouth Bay. |
| 11 | Dorchester | Lakeside Magic - tribute to Queen and the Bee Gees at Kingston Maurward. |
| 11-12 | Poole | The British Beach Polo Championships on Sandbanks Beach. Single tickets and corporate hospitality available. Tel 01202 714802. |
| 11-13 | Bournemouth | Bourne Free Pride Festival. Last year the event attracted thousands of people from across the UK with a nautical themed beachfront parade, a live show in the gardens and a brand new street party. In 2008 there will be even more going on so the event has been extended across an entire weekend. |
| 12 | Dorchester | Lakeside Magic - 60s summer of love with the New Amen Corner and the UK Beach Boys at Kingston Maurward. |
| 12 | Yetminster | Yetminster Fair, near Sherborne. An excellent family afternoon out with over 100 stalls, music, dancing, children's entertainment plus a Yetties concert in the evening. Stallholder enquiries to 01935 873719. Yetties tickets 01935 872940. |
| 12 | Sturminster Newton | Race night at the football club. Doors open 7.30pm. First race 8.30pm. Tickets £5 to include a drink on arrival and a ploughman's supper. For tickets and/or to reserve a table, call 01963 362351. |
| 12-13 | Weymouth | Seafood festival around the Old Harbour. |
| 12-13 | Weymouth | Weymouth International Martime Modelling Festival at Radipole Lake, Weymouth Pavilion and the Pleasure Pier. Over 1000 models on display, tall ships, powerboat racing, trade shows, workshops and live battles. |
| 13 | Kimmeridge | Swalland Farm Open Day. Milking demonstrations, cliff top tractor rides, cream teas, working farm machinery, fossil workshop, BBQ, produce stall, skittles competition and great raffle prizes. £4 per adult, £2 per child over 5, or £10 for a family of 2 adults and 2 children. |
| 13 | Dorchester | Lakeside Magic - Jane McDonald and her orchestra plus Miller Magic at Kingston Maurward. |
| 13 | Portland | Race to the Bill Triathlon from Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy. Includes an open water swim of 1500 metres, a cycle of 40 kilometres around the island to the Bill and a run of 10 kilometres, mainly on the flat but multi-surface. For competitors who paticipated in the Jumbled Sprint of 07 and 08, a discounted price of £34 applies. For new competitors it is £39. There is a free BBQ at the finish. |
| 14-18 | Lytchett Minster | Lytchett Minster School is organising its first full-scale arts festival featuring a range of events from modern dance troupe Cscape to jazz and swing bands, a photographic competition and exhibition, and the screening of a superb South African film documentary. Tickets and information from Alison Colvin on 01202 622413. |
| 15-26 | Christchurch | Bournemouth Shakespeare Players present Macbeth as an open-air play in the Priory House Gardens. No performances on Sunday 20th and Monday 21st. Tickets £9, concessions £7. |
| 16-20 | Tollard Royal | 18th Larmer Tree Festival. Escape the humdrum of everyday life and join us for a non-stop 108-hour birthday party, indulging yourself in five days of eclectic music, workshops and street theatre. Take time out with friends and family in an intimate crowd of 4000 amongst mysterious pagodas and grassy lawns with resident peacocks around every corner! |
| 18 | Dorchester | Tolpuddle Martyrs - Song & Story - Graham Moore at the Dorchester Old Crown Court. The true facts of the Martyrs' story presented with songs from the acclaimed 'Tolpuddle Man' in an atmospheric performance within the preserved original court where the six agricultural labourers received their unjust sentence of transportation in 1834. Tickets are available from Dorchester Tourist Information Centre. |
| 18-20 | Weymouth | National Beach Handball Championship on Weymouth beach. |
| 19 | Three Legged Cross | Ashley Heath Country Fayre and Dorset Charity Horse and Dog Show at Homelands Farm, Ringwood Road, Three Legged Cross, near the Moors Valley Country Park. A grand day out for all the family with trade stands, children's corner, tug of war and lots more. |
| 19-20 | Portland | Portland Steam and Vintage Show at Southwell Business Park. |
| 19-20 | Ferndown | 'Let's Dance' at the Barrington Theatre. A variety of dances from students as young as three from the Elite Academy of Dance. Cabaret-type show with a small buffet and a licensed bar. |
| 20-26 | Weymouth | Lifeboat Week around the Old Harbour. |
| 21-24 | Weymouth | RAF Youth Beach Sports Festival on Weymouth beach. |
| 23-3 Aug | Bournemouth | Superheroes and Villains at the Oceanarium, Bournemouth Aquarium. Discover lizards who can withstand tremendous heat and giant octopi that have the intelligence to solve puzzles and open jars! With a special quiz trail, competitions and many other activities. |
| 25-26 | Weymouth | Evolve Festival at Lodmoor Country Park - a new and exciting folk festival for South Dorset. A great family event with 'Show of Hands' featuring Miranda Sykes headlining the show. Plus Lou Rhodes and many more performers, music workshops and stalls. |
| 25-27 | Weymouth | National Beach Volleyball Classic on Weymouth neach. |
| 25-28 | Weymouth | Greek Wine Festival on Weymouth Pavilion forecourt. |
| 26 | Portland | Gooseberry Fayre on Weston Road. |
| 28 | Weymouth | Great Days of Summer on Weymouth beach at in the bay. International themed firework display plus music and competitions. |
Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of this Dorset events list, dates and venues can be changed or events and festivals cancelled altogether. It is always best to confirm the details with the Tourist Information Centre for that region before you set off for your holiday or short break in Dorset.