Three weeks of walks, talks, workshops and performing arts have been announced as a popular cultural festival returns to Dorset.

This year’s Cerne Giant Festival will be taking place from April 13 until May 5 with events taking place in the Cerne Valley between the villages of Godmanstone and Minterne Magna.

The Cerne Giant Festival was born out out of the vibrant May Day tradition celebrated in the county when Morris Dancers and villagers gathered at dawn on the Trendle, the original site of the village Maypole at the top of Cerne Giant.

The festival celebrates the start of summer and allows visitors to explore their connection with the landscape of Dorset.

The 2024 programme has been released and promises visitors plenty of things to do at this year's event.

Some of this year’s highlights include prize-winning environmental writer Michael McCarthy with a talk about Britain’s migratory birds on April 17, and Dr Helen Gittos of the University of Oxford, who also be speaking about her research into the Cerne Giant on April 20 after soil analysis showed it dates back to 900AD.

On May 2 three local astronomers will discuss the significant astronomical alignments associated with the giant, and there will also be two wildlife gardening events led by Mitch Perkins, assistant wilder communities’ officer from Dorset Wildlife Trust.

The first of which will talk about how to create wildlife friendly spaces, the second is a more practical gardening workshop.

Farmer Jim Horsington will also reflect on the past, present and future challenges of running a traditional family farm in the Cerne Valley

For a full list of this year’s events during the festival and to buy tickets visit www.cernegiantfestival.org/2024-festival-lineup/