A HOST of events are lined up as the first Spirit of Bridport Festival of Culture opens on Saturday, August 11.

Organisers say that family fun is the order of the day during the 17-day extravaganza in Bridport between August 11 and 27.

The festival will open with an 11am ceremony and events in Bucky Doo Square on Saturday before a Best of the West concert at Bridport Arts Centre on Saturday featuring five local bands and headliners State of Undress.

The day’s festivities will also include a skittles, cider and meat extravaganza from 6pm when South Street will be turned into a giant skittles alley for people to take part in.

There will also be music and refreshments.

There will also be the premiere of filmmaker Stephen Banks’s new timelapse production, Dorset by Night, during the evening.

Festival director Tamsin Chandler, working alongside festival founder Ros Kayes, has planned the activity programme to appeal to all ages.

Tamsin said: “We’ve put community and family at the heart of the Festival of Culture.

“The action packed-programme offers magical experiences for children and adults to enjoy, learn and ultimately be inspired by ground-breaking musical, theatrical and visual performances, workshops and installations.

“The Bridport Festival of Culture experience is going to be sensational.”

Excitement for the family includes children’s art workshops, puppet creation master-classes, child-friendly ‘scary’ theatre, Olympic trampoline taster sessions and Jurassic Coast discovery tours.

There will be a pirate day, electric bike-ride trails, foraging-learning guides, a Dr Who extravaganza, arts and sports events for those with special needs, as well as Bridport Carnival.

There’s also a beach party at West Bay to close the extravaganza. The festival will also include workshops, talks and events as well as open-air performances from musicians, bands, dancers, jugglers, mime artists, street opera stars and poets.

The Norman family are among those looking forward to the festival Mum Lucy Norman said: “We heard about the Festival of Culture when we last visited and arranged our entire summer holiday to be here for it.

“We can’t wait till the festival begins.

“There’s so much to do, it’s going to be hard to fit everything in.”

Visit the website festivalofculture.com for full details.