Events and Festivals in Dorchester
Are you searching for a place that buzzes with events all year round?
Well get ready to fill your days with festivals, fairs, shows, carnivals and concerts as Dorchester has them all!
Festival Fever
Dorchester has a vibrant mix of festivals; the popular Thomas Hardy Victorian Fair in June, the Cider Festival in August and the Dorchester Literary Festival in the Autumn.
But the highlight of Dorchester’s calendar year has to be the Dorset County Show, an annual agricultural show featuring over 450 tradestands and a fantastic array of attractions. Drawing in the crowds are the spectacular main ring performances, the show jumping, the rousing scurry racing, the funfair and not forgetting of course all of the delicious food and shopping there is to be done.
Seasonal events
No matter what the weather is doing, there’s always somewhere to go in Dorchester.
In February, welcome the newborn lambs into the world at Kingston Maurward’s Lambing weekend and at Easter, hunt throughout the Dinosaur Museum to spot the dinosaur eggs and solve the mystery.
In the Summer, take the family and a picnic down to the Borough Gardens or Maumbury Rings and enjoy the live music events.
And at Christmas, the town is lit up and filled with the wonderful aroma of roasted chestnuts for the Christmas Cracker, Dorchester’s Christmas shopping event.
Market Days
Wednesday is Dorchester’s market day so come and enjoy the lively atmosphere, pick up some fresh produce, clothes, plants, flowers, antiques, collectables and gifts.
A Country Market is held every Friday in the Corn Exchange and a Farmers’ Market is also held up at Poundbury’s Queen Mother Square on the first Saturday of the month. So time your visit to Dorchester well and you’ll be in for some tasty treats!
Events coming soon
Mothers Day Activities - Archery and Axe Throwing
Treat Mum like a Medieval Warrior Queen this Mother's Day! Spoil her with an unforgettable Mother's Day experience she'll truly treasure: the Medieval Trio with Insight Activities Dorset!...
Bob Whitley and Lee MacKenzie - Anne Boleyn Wolf at the Door
Written and Composed by Bob Whitley. Performed by Bob Whitley and Lee MacKenzie.. Bob Whitley (guitar, tenor guitar and mandola) and Lee MacKenzie (baroque cello) take us back to the 16th Century and...
Dorchester Piano Quartet
Brahms - Piano Quartet in A major. Schubert was one of the clearest influences on this magnificent work, in particular, his skillful development of melodies. This piano quartet is brimful of fine...
Cracking - with Shon Dale-Jones
A completely made-up true story...... When the world goes mad, do we inevitably go mad too? When Schon playfully cracks an egg on his mother's head, he has no idea real-life internet trolls will...
Julian Gaskell and His Ragged Trousered Philanthropists - Broadside Bangers
Cornwall's premium post-ragtime, rembetika punk, swing polka klezmer blues trio present an anthology of some of the most melodramatic, gruesome and supernatural broadside ballads from the 17th to...
Choral Evensong for Passiontide
You are warmly invited to our monthly, cathedral-style service of Choral Evensong on Saturday 23rd March at 4.30pm in St Peter's Church, Dorchester. The music includes Lotti's 'Crucifixus...
Easter Trails at Minterne Gardens
Easter Trails at Minterne Gardens. Wear your best Easter Bonnet. Explore 27 acres of wild woodland garden for Easter bunnies, Easter Eggs and enjoy a chocolate treat at the Cafe on the way in (or...
How Sweet It Is: The James Taylor Songbook
In this brand-new show, the hugely gifted Vernon James takes you on a journey back to simpler times where you can happily lose yourself in the dulcet tones and sweet melodies of James Taylor,...
The Great Art Giveaway
One hundred original pieces of artwork by local artist, Kim Sibley, will be given away on Saturday 23rd March, 1-4pm at Maiden Newton Village Hall. The aim is to help her daughter raise money for a...
Aled Jones - Full Circle
Prepare to hear Aled Jones as you've never heard him before! He was the boy treble who captivated the world with his angelic voice. Selling over seven million albums, Aled was the original,...