So August Bank Holiday folks is the date for this lovely little festival. This was my first time…read morehere, but actually it's only been running for 2 years. Tickets cost £40 for adults, and children are £1. Get them quick as it does sell out. This is a family festival, and my friends kids absolutely loved it, and why wouldn't they...... face painting, and arts and crafts...and even a bouncy castle for them...and best of all this was all free. The site itself was clean and had plenty of space for the tents and to sit outside, but then we are talking about around 1500 people. And there was plenty of entertainment for adults and party goers too...from the 5 stages - with acoustic sounds from the Otters Pocket, chill out at the Lotus Flower,or hit the brilliant Dub tent which had some great Reggae, and Drum n Bass blasting out. When the sound systems shut down at midnight, you then get a chance to head to silent disco...where you can party til 3.30am...and potentially back to the lotus flower after that if you're hoping to catch the sunrise. The vibe was fun and friendly...and they have big ideas for the future so this is definitely one to watch. My only criticism would be that there were too many covers bands...but then this is a learning curve...and I have no doubt this will change in future years. A brilliant little festival, and well worth checking out.

Once upon a time this was a small local festival taking place every now and again out back at a…read morepub. Now it's one of the largest folk music festivals in the United Kingdom. It takes place during summer every year, at the beginning of the summer holidays, and is a very family friendly event. This is the ideal festival for those with young children and an aversion to massive crowds, the like you find at Glastonbury. There are many regulars who return year after year, and the festival is becoming ever more popular year after year too. This was the festival that I was taken to as a child. I could probably draw you a map of it down to the last blade of grass. With live music, dancing and a wonderful variety of stalls, this festival can be a little bit of an unforgettable experience. This year the festival takes place from the 22nd-25th of July, and includes acts such as Show of Hands, Bellowhead and many, many others. Quickly, book now!

I literally can't wait for this years' Harbour Festival, I only managed to catch bits and pieces of…read moreit last year as I had only just moved to Bristol. This year, 2010, it'll be going down 30th July - 01st August, and do you want to know the best thing about it? It's freeeeeeeee! Amazingly, it's been going for 39 years, and while I wouldn't want to bore you with trivial statistics and facts, what it means is, this weekend has been running for enough years for them to have worked out what works and what doesn't! There will be not one, not two, not three, but eight, yes eight stages with a variety of music for all tastes. It's generally a great weekend, don't miss it!

This much-loved summer festival sees literally hundreds of thousands of visitors flock to Bristol…read morefor a weekend of eating, drinking and wishing we owned a boat. Many of my friends come down specifically for this weekend, usually around the end of July, beginning of August. All the boats in the harbour tart themselves up with bunting and the like and there are plenty of food stalls where you can buy everything from candy floss to wheels of cheese! There are plenty of market type stalls if shopping is your thing and all the bars and pubs around the waterfront are jam-packed with people making the most of drinks promotions and the outside seating. A fantastic weekend of entertainment, and it's all for free! Last year I spent it drinking cider and watching VV Brown play on the main stage in a packed Lloyds Amphitheatre and can't wait to do the same this year.

A boutique-ish three-dayer that began life in summer 2010 in countryside near the perimeter of…read moreCardiff International Airport, Watusi is an interesting additional to Wales's undersubscribed festival season, from a collective of the region's promoters. Small in scale but big on ideas, the musical policy is on the laidback side, DJs spinning sounds spanning Brazilian, funk, reggae and Afrobeat music, plus live performers dealing in whimsical folk, indie-rock and audio-visual sets. The atmosphere is similarly tranquil - midway between hippy jam and refined middle-class relaxation - albeit sporadically interrupted by its location directly under the flightpath of the nearby airport. It proves weirdly hypnotic, however, as everything from light planes to international commercial aircraft approach to land at regular interviews. You may not be so impressed should your mornings involve sleeping off the previous night's excesses, of course; compensation is a stunning sea view beyond the festival's fences. The drinks are heavy on local brewers, commendably reasonably priced for a festival (ordinarily carte blanche to charge extortionate money for generic drainwater), and the food, while not such fantastic value for money, is hearty with good vegetarian options. If you don't drive, the trip is only a minor inconvenience, less than 30 minutes walk from bus and rail links. Here's hoping Watusi becomes an annual fixture.

If the regular Carling/Carlsberg/Stella-style options at your local bar are boring your palette,…read moredon't hesitate to head to The Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival, the Campaign For Real Ale's flagship annual three-day drinking fest in Wales. Always rolling out a list of barrelled British ales as long as your arm, with understandable emphasis on Welsh brewers, plus many German beers, every year brings a handful of comedic names - try ordering past example Pheasant Plucker after a couple of pints without accidentally insulting the serving staff. The cider and perry options are plentiful and strong, too. The festivalgoers vary from 14-pint-a-night rugby fan types to stereotypical beardy real ale enthusiasts and though admission is charged that does get you freebies (at the 2010 festival, for example, it was a fiver in with a free beer glass, and under 26s got complimentary beer tokens). The earlier you get there, the better the availability - arrive late on the last day and chances are stocks of most popular drinks will have been drained already. The downsides: the food choices could do with improving, although live entertainment/music will take your mind off any rumbling stomachs. And the venue, Cardiff International Arena, is somewhat grim and lit like a school assembly hall; you'll certainly be left wishing they had an outdoor beer garden. For anybody in doubt over the middling mark: the beer, ciders and perry ranges are as imaginative as such tipples come, it's just the venue makes it more likely that alcohol's depressing qualities will win out if you spend too much time there - and running for 12 hours every day, a serious drinking session is certainly on the cards for those who can last the pace.

The absolute highlight of summer in Cardiff to me is and always will be the Cardiff International…read moreFood & Drink Festival. If you're a foodie in Cardiff, attending the International Food & Drink Festival is an absolute MUST! -- TIPS: -- ~ Make sure you have plenty of cash on hand way before the event. Nearby ATMs will have a massive queue of people getting cash out. If you can get cash out somewhere else before attending, you can avoid the mad rush to the ATMs. ~ Bring your own bottled water / soft drinks. Drinks here are really expensive, and while meandering around the food stalls trying all the different things, I found myself getting really thirsty and forking out over £2 for a standard bottle of Diet Coke. -- ATMOSPHERE: -- I really enjoy the atmosphere here. You're surrounded by a bunch of other folks who love food as much as you do - what could be better? However, if you're not a crowd person, you might hate it. Try to get there extra early right around opening time, the crowds may be a bit less then. -- FOOD: -- There's a decent amount of variety of food here. The only thing is that I'm hesitant to say that the variety fits the name of it being 'international'. Don't get me wrong, there are definitely some international choices (I loved the paella stand!) the vast majority of places were definitely Welsh/British cuisine. However, there should still be something for everyone here. Again, go and get the paella - amaziiiiinnngg! Not only can you get hot foods here, but you can also check out the Producer's Fayre or Farmer's Market for goods to take home such as regional cheeses, chutneys, and chocolates. Well worth the browse. --- I'm really sad that I have to wait a whole year to come back to the Cardiff International Food & Drink Festival. Definitely a must-go if you're in South Wales for the summer!

Well, great stuff! Bournemouth was heaving with people - indeed on Friday the M3 was flowing like…read moretreacle, and Bournemouth council announced ' No More Cars Please!!!!!! Well, every August the Red Arrows come to Bournemouth and it's always worth getting a vantage point. You just have to allow three timesas much travel time! This year we had the Red Arrows in all their glory,and what glory it is, plus a parachuting display by the RAF, a biplane display with women on top!!!, Vulcans and fireworks every evening, which I got to see from Poole Quay. I think every feels the Red Arrows are so spectacular and with split second timing and only eight feet between wing tips - I may be wrong but saw that on a documentary. A lot of people have seen Red Arrows from their gardens as far away as Wool, so their turning space is huge but alsothe main event is not always all nine planes. Ooooh, a Red Arrow just flew over the harbour here in Poole. The bi-planes looped the loop and all sorts of tricks, complete with women on each wing! (Oh, you all know that women multi task.) This was a feat which caused laughter of amazement and huge applause. Parachuting with jet trails - well, very colourful sky and amazing skill. Landing in the sea! I wonder if the Royal Marines took part in this, they often parachute into Studland Bay. But so do the Commandos. Hmmm..... And then the firework displays at night - I'm lucky enough to see in the distance these displays over Bournemouth Bay. And all of this is free. Amazing, considering how much one pays to see a concert. Absolutely brill!

Red arrow helps tourism in Bournemouth. Hotels and restaurants do need your stunning perofrmance…read moremore often. It is good to have you here in Bournemouth at least twice in a year. It is definately an event that could draw people into the town. We are in the redhill area, we could see them piercing through the sky towards the coastal areas. What a spectacular scene! E-pan Cafe Bar & Chinese Restaurant 3 New Parade, BH10 5BG