What’s On – Local events guide

Embark on a fascinating journey through Brownsea Island’s rich history as you explore the island and the castle’s picturesque grounds. A rare opportunity to enter the castle itself, view the paintings and artefacts of past owners. Afterwards, head to the Morning Room and help yourself to a warm drink and a delicious scone with cream and jam. Two walks per month except Mar/Aug & Dec.

A rare 18th century fire engine – once the town’s frontline defence against disaster – is the star of the show of Fire Flood Frost. New for 2026, the exhibition brings to life the extraordinary story of how Beaminster and surrounding communities battled flames, floods and freezing winters long before emergency services. Admission free.

7pm (doors open 6.30pm). Singer / songwriter Nick Capaldi was No.1 on the Amazon Hot New Release Chart for his debut single ‘ IN MY SHOES’ & singer David Essex described Nicks music as having “An early Genesis & Supertramp quality to it”. Tickets £15 p.p. There will be a CASH BAR with our usual friendly Bar Staff. We’re looking forward to seeing you there.

Brownsea Island is a haven for bird enthusiasts and nature lovers alike. Our guided walks, led by an expert Dorset Wildlife Trust ranger, take you through the island’s beautiful wetlands. Brownsea Lagoon is one of the best birdwatching sites in England. The lagoon’s shallow, nutrient-rich waters draw in thousands of birds annually, creating an ever-changing avian spectacle.

7:00 pm. A Talk by Mike Randall. Learn about the sufferings of “unfortunate and melancholy souls” convicted at Dorchester Assizes in the late 18th and 19th centuries and what befell them and the families they left behind. Tickets are £8 for Dorset Archives Trust members, or £10 for non-members. Please book via ticketsource (web link below)

7:00 pm. Two local writers have written a brand new comedy, ‘Life Class’ and it is being staged as a fund raiser for Dorchester Arts. A talented cast of local actors are bring to life the story of a London artist, who flees to Dorset and sets up an art class in a village hall. Lives are changed by the power of art.

Our Maker’s markets are hosted by a team of our volunteers. These clever creative volunteers keep busy creating handcrafted, knitted, sewn, items to sell alongside and home-grown plants.
Our Maker’s market will be held on the 1st Friday of each month. Come along and join us for a cuppa and a home baked sweet treat.

Come and celebrate May Day with the bright and colourful TatterBand accompanying dances especially chosen so younger families can enjoy some gentle folk dancing. Friendly caller Angela Laycock will teach the dances, so no experience is necessary. All children must be accompanied by an adult. £5 per person from Dorchester Arts.

Come and celebrate May Day with folk music, dancing for everyone, and good company at the Thomas Hardye Theatre.
Join us for another of their seasonal family ceilidhs, this time to celebrate the coming of summer. The TatterBand play tunes which were used for dancing in Dorset 200 years ago, and now you can enjoy communal dancing, with the moves taught by experienced caller Angela Laycock.

Doors Open 1830, Eyes Down 1930. Event description: Bingo with a Beat in aid of SSAFA – The Armed Forces Charity & Macmillan Cancer Support. Featuring music from different eras, something for everyone. Hear the song, cross it off. £10 a Book | 6 Games. FAB PRIZES. Bar| Raffle| Children’s Entertainment available. Email via link below for more information & to guarantee your bingo book. Pre-booking preferred. Limited availability on the door.

Charity football match and family fun day, in aid of Weldmar Hospice, the South Western Ambulance Charity, The Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance and Police Care UK. Kick off is at 17:30, with a large number of local vendors, food, drink and information stands open from 15:00, alongside emergency services personnel and vehicles and explore. Tickets are £5, available at dorsetnines.com

7:30 pm. Starring the Oscar-winning Marion Cotillard, this is the wonderfully acclaimed biographical film depicting the life of the legendary French singer, Edith Piaf. Full of her songs and emotion, it is an unmissably beautiful epic tale of a life from humble beginnings to stardom. Musical/Drama—Cert 12. In French with subtitles. £6 cash or card on the door (members £5), students/under 18s free.

The Hand in Hand Lodge is renting The Lake House which is situated within 26 acres of glorious countryside. Home of renowned sculptor Simon Gudgen. Guests can arrive from 10am to walk around the beautiful lakes. We will take a picnic and afternoon tea to enjoy on the privacy of our own island. Tickets cost £40.00 with a discount of £15.00 for members of the Oddfellows.

The Hand in Hand Lodge is renting The Lake House which is situated within 26 acres of glorious countryside. Home of renowned sculptor Simon Gudgen. Guests can arrive from 10am to walk around the beautiful lakes. We will take a picnic and afternoon tea to enjoy on the privacy of our own island. Tickets cost £40.00 with a discount of £15.00 for members of the Oddfellows.

This is an annual charity event in aid of The Children’s Society. We generally have a wide range of plants available for sale including annuals, perennials and vegetable plants. We hope to see you there. Any spare plants from gardens or greenhouses would be greatly appreciated and these can be brought on the day or we are happy to collect in advance via number below.

7:00 pm. Dance leads to dalliance and love—or a broken heart. Step back in time with Courtlye Musick and Ars Nova of Cherbourg as we whirl you through affairs of the heart with medieval and Tudor dance music and love songs played in costume on period instruments. Free concert with retiring collection. With Poole-Cherbourg Twinning Association.

7.30pm (Doors open at 7pm). A full band night in a great space with a cash bar. Original music from George Halls wonderful More Than Scars album+ a full set from the fantastic Amy Mayes Band. Contact Susana to book tickets in advance. We’re looking forward to seeing you there.

Coffee and get together and bring at buy at Crossways village hall. Raising money for charity.

Celebrating twinning between Dorset and Normandy and supporting Dorchester Town Council’s Informal Annual Town Meeting. Step back in time with Courtlye Musick and Ars Nova of Cherbourg as we whirl you through a joint open rehearsal for our next concerts. Tudor and medieval dance music and love songs played in costume on period instruments.

Join us for another friendly evening, a chance to dance to fine live music, and enjoy simple comforts in company. Bring a partner, an instrument, or just yourself and enjoy some Balfolk tunes and dances. As ever, musicians are welcome to join the scratch band, novice dancers are invited to learn some basic steps at the workshop at 7pm before the main Bal from 8pm.

2:30 pm. Dance leads to dalliance and love—or a broken heart. Step back in time with Courtlye Musick and Ars Nova of Cherbourg as we whirl you through affairs of the heart with medieval and Tudor dance music and love songs played in costume on period instruments. Free informal concert with retiring collection.

You are warmly invited to our cathedral-style service of Choral Eucharist on Sunday 10th May at 10.30am in St Peter’s Church, Dorchester. The music includes: William Harris’s ‘Holy is the true light’, Michael Haydn’s ‘Missa brevis in C’ and Gorecki’s ‘Totus tuus’. All are very welcome to this free service. More information via web link below.

Come and join The Oddfellows for an afternoon of table top games. Come and play or learn to play: Scrabble, Upwords, Bananagrams, Rummicub, mah jong, Cribbage and much much more at PIP cafe on Poundbury. This is a free event. Refreshments including homemade cake.

The Dorchester Vegan MegaMarket returns outdoors to the historic Maumbury Rings Roman Amphitheatre this Spring! With free entry to our 2 Day May MegaMarket, with 50+ stalls of 100% vegan products situated at the north end of the rings, everyone can enjoy this superb outdoor event. And with a massive grass amphitheatre you can bring your own blankets or chairs for relaxing and dining.

Join us at St Peter’s Church Dorchester on Saturday 16th May between 12.30pm and 1.00pm for our monthly lunchtime concert. Natalie Burton (clarinet) and Rob Taylor (piano) perform the Copland ‘Clarinet Sonata’ and Finzi’s ‘Five Bagatelles for Clarinet and Piano’. Admission is free. More information via web link below.

Event description: A concert of short choral pieces for choir with chamber orchestra including Handel’s ‘Let God Arise’, Mendelssohn’s Psalm 42, The famous soprano aria ‘Scherza Infida’ from Handel’s Ariodante. They will be joined by the outstanding young Soprano Sumei Bao-Smith. Entrance is FREE. There will be a retiring collection for Weldmar Hospicecare.
Everyone is most welcome.

7:00 pm. In the 18th & 19th centuries high taxes led to increased illicit imports to Britain. Stories of the battles between smugglers & excisemen have been handed down in archival records, family stories, local legends & songs. Join us for an evening of music, folklore and local history with Bonny Sartin. Tickets are £8 for Dorset Archives Trust members or £10 for non-members. Please book via web link below.

Brownsea Island is a haven for bird enthusiasts and nature lovers alike. Our guided walks, led by an expert Dorset Wildlife Trust ranger, take you through the island’s beautiful wetlands. Brownsea Lagoon is one of the best birdwatching sites in England. The lagoon’s shallow, nutrient-rich waters draw in thousands of birds annually, creating an ever-changing avian spectacle.

You are warmly invited to our cathedral-style service of Choral Eucharist for Pentecost on Sunday 24th May at 10.30am in St Peter’s Church, Dorchester. The music includes: Tallis’s ‘O Lord give thy Holy Spirit’, Mozart’s ‘Missa brevis in F K.192’ and Grayston Ives’s ‘Listen sweet dove’. All are very welcome to this free service. More information via web link below.

Come and join us for a coffee and chat at the Kings Arms, High East Street, Dorchester where the first two drinks will be paid for by The Oddfellows. Refreshments available to order from the bar.

You are warmly invited to our monthly, cathedral-style service of Choral Evensong on Saturday 30th may at 4.30pm in St Peter’s Church, Dorchester. The music includes Gibbons’s ‘Come, Holy Ghost’, the ‘Preces & Responses’ by Martin Neary, Blair’s ‘Evening Service in B minor’ and Elgar’s ‘The spirit of the Lord’. Admission is free and there is a glass of wine to follow. All are very welcome. More information via web link below.

A nocturnal safari looking at birds settling down for the evening there will also be bat detecting and we will be looking out for the mysterious nightjar. There will be plenty of moths on the wing too. There are 2 sailing times with the second boat leaving at 19.50 and returning at 22.50.

7:30 pm. Come and joint The Oddfellows at the theatre to see ‘the best Abba show’, ‘Most authentic Abba Show’ (2024). Weymouth Pavilion, tickets from £30.00. Subsidy of £10.0 for members. Come and join us for supper in the Pavilion restaurant prior to the show.

Come and join us for an afternoon of table top games. Come and play or learn to play: Rummicub, Scrabble, mah jong, canasta and much much more. Refreshments available. This is a free event.

A nocturnal safari looking at birds settling down for the evening there will also be bat detecting and we will be looking out for the mysterious nightjar. There will be plenty of moths on the wing too. There are 2 sailing times with the second boat leaving at 19.50 and returning at 22.50.

Coffee and get together and bring at buy at Crossways village hall. Raising money for charity.

A nocturnal safari looking at birds settling down for the evening there will also be bat detecting and we will be looking out for the mysterious nightjar. There will be plenty of moths on the wing too. There are 2 sailing times with the second boat leaving at 19.50 and returning at 22.50.

12:30 pm. Come and join us for a midweek carvery lunch. Cost £16.50 with a £5.00 subsidy for members of The Oddfellows. Please confirm by 17th June if you would like to join us.

A nocturnal safari looking at birds settling down for the evening there will also be bat detecting and we will be looking out for the mysterious nightjar. There will be plenty of moths on the wing too. There are 2 sailing times with the second boat leaving at 19.50 and returning at 22.50.

Brownsea Island is a haven for bird enthusiasts and nature lovers alike. Our guided walks, led by an expert Dorset Wildlife Trust ranger, take you through the island’s beautiful wetlands. Brownsea Lagoon is one of the best birdwatching sites in England. The lagoon’s shallow, nutrient-rich waters draw in thousands of birds annually, creating an ever-changing avian spectacle.

18 Gardens open in Briantspuddle & Affpuddle and Throop. Morning coffee, lunch & afternoon tea at the historic village hall (funds from the event will go to towards maintenance of the thatch); plant and book stalls, an art exhibition, floral display with wildlife photography, a history exhibitions etc. Admission £7.50 under 16’s free. Minibus shuttle between Affpuddle and Throop. Free Parking.

All are welcome to join us at the Dorset Archives Trust Summer Gala, which is being held this year at Mapperton House, with permission of the Earl and Countess of Sandwich. This event is an important annual fundraiser for Dorset Archives Trust (DAT). Tickets are £25 for DAT members or £30 for non-members. Tickets include strawberries & cream with a glass of fizz. Please book via ticketsource – click web link below.

Come and join us for an afternoon of tabletop games at PIP cafe Poundbury.  Come and play or learn to play Scrabble, Rummicub, Canasta, mah jong, crib and much much more!

Come and join The Oddfellows for an afternoon of table top games. Come and play or learn to play: Scrabble, Upwords, Bananagrams, Rummicub, mah jong, Cribbage and much much more at PIP cafe on Poundbury. This is a free event. Refreshments including homemade cake.

Coffee and get together and bring at buy at Crossways village hall. Raising money for charity.

The Hand in Hand Lodge of Oddfellows is going on a cruise from Poole Quay to Swanage, cruising for about an hour along the Jurassic coast. There is a live commentary and a bar on board. Cost £22.00 for adults and £16.00 for children. members of The Oddfellows enjoy a £10.00 subsidy.

Our annual Summertime Fayre is a much-loved event which brings together a wide range of stalls, entertainment, and activities, all while helping us raise vital unrestricted funds to support local older people, the event is more than just a lively day of entertainment — its plays a crucial role in raising awareness and vital funds for the charity.

Come and join us for a coffee and chat at The Kings Arms, Dorchester where a warm welcome awaits you.  The first two drinks are paid for by The Oddfellows.  Refreshments available to order from the bar.

Come and join The Oddfellows for an afternoon of table top games. Come and play or learn to play: Scrabble, Upwords, Bananagrams, Rummicub, mah jong, Cribbage and much much more at PIP cafe on Poundbury. This is a free event. Refreshments including homemade cake.

Coffee and get together and bring at buy at Crossways village hall. Raising money for charity.

A family Fun Dog Show supporting The Lexi May Trust. 6 fun dog show classes, refreshments, doggy trade stalls, Raffles and much more.

12:30 pm. The Hand in Hand Lodge of Oddfellows is going on a guided tour of Shepton Mallet Prison. Please if you need transport there will be plenty of opportunity for a lift. Cost £25.00 with a discount of £10 for members.

Come and join The Oddfellows for an afternoon of table top games. Come and play or learn to play: Scrabble, Upwords, Bananagrams, Rummicub, mah jong, Cribbage and much much more at PIP cafe on Poundbury. This is a free event. Refreshments including homemade cake.

Come and enjoy a fun afternoon with an expert from Duke’s who will tell us amusing anecdotes from the world of auctioneering and look at and value items of interest that we have bought along.

Come and join us for a coffee and a chat at The Kings Arms where a warm welcome awaits you. The first two drinks are paid for by The Oddfellows. Refreshments are available to buy at the bar.

Brownsea Island is a haven for bird enthusiasts and nature lovers alike. Our guided walks, led by an expert Dorset Wildlife Trust ranger, take you through the island’s beautiful wetlands. Brownsea Lagoon is one of the best birdwatching sites in England. The lagoon’s shallow, nutrient-rich waters draw in thousands of birds annually, creating an ever-changing avian spectacle.

Come and join The Oddfellows for an afternoon of table top games. Come and play or learn to play: Scrabble, Upwords, Bananagrams, Rummicub, mah jong, Cribbage and much much more at PIP cafe on Poundbury. This is a free event. Refreshments including homemade cake.

Brownsea Island is a haven for bird enthusiasts and nature lovers alike. Our guided walks, led by an expert Dorset Wildlife Trust ranger, take you through the island’s beautiful wetlands. Brownsea Lagoon is one of the best birdwatching sites in England. The lagoon’s shallow, nutrient-rich waters draw in thousands of birds annually, creating an ever-changing avian spectacle.

Come and join The Oddfellows for an afternoon of table top games. Come and play or learn to play: Scrabble, Upwords, Bananagrams, Rummicub, mah jong, Cribbage and much much more at PIP cafe on Poundbury. This is a free event. Refreshments including homemade cake.