BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Dorchester Festival - ECPv6.15.18//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://dorchesterfestival.com X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Dorchester Festival REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/London BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20250330T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20251026T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20260329T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20261025T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20270328T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20271031T010000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260501 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260511 DTSTAMP:20261012T073740 CREATED:20220107T053308Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260526T092709Z UID:3964-1777593600-1778457599@dorchesterfestival.com SUMMARY:Scarecrow Trail - Historical Figures DESCRIPTION:The 2026 Scarecrow historical figures are listed below.  Congratulations to the Line family for their winning scarecrow – Howard Carter and Tutankhamun \n\n\n\nDorchester Festival 2026 Scarecrow Trail Answers (most popular scarecrow: Howard Carter and Tutankhamun)\n\n\nNo\nAddress\nWho is the historical figure?\n\n\n1\nDorchester Abbey Museum \nGeoffrey Chaucer\n\n\n2\nVillage Hall\, Queen’s St (Dorchester Historical Society)\nSir George Gilbert Scott \n \n\n\n3\nDorchester St Birinus Primary School \nSt Birinus\n\n\n4\nDorchester Pre-school\, Queen’s Street \nAmelia Earhart\n\n\n5\n3 Manor Farm Road \nNeil Armstrong\n\n\n6\n7 Monks Close\nEmmeline Pankhurst\n\n\n7\n11 Monks Close \nFriar Tuck (and Robin Hood)\n\n\n8\n17 Page Furlong\nSt Francis of Assisi\n\n\n9\n2 Page Furlong\nAlbert Einstein\n\n\n10\n7 Jemmetts Close\nHelen Sharman\n\n\n11\n3 The Limes\nKing Henry VIII\n\n\n12\nSnug\, Bishop’s Court Farm\, High St\nJulius Caesar\n\n\n13\n72 High Street\nSteve Jobs\n\n\n14\nHigh St Bus Shelter (Knit n Natter) \nWilliam Shakespeare\n\n\n15\nFortnums Estates\, 65 High Street \nMarilyn Monroe\n\n\n16\n55 High Street \nRosa Parks\n\n\n17\n51 High Street\nCleopatra\n\n\n18\n30 High Street \nAnne Boleyn\n\n\n19\n6 Beechcroft \nHoward Carter and Tutankhamun\n\n\n20\n8 Malthouse Lane \nGandhi\n\n\n21\n19 Watling Lane \nMarie Curie\n\n\n22\n7 Tenpenny\nCleopatra\n\n\n23\n2 Haven Close\nBeatrix Potter\n\n\n24\n13 Tenpenny\nQueen Matilda\n\n\n25\n22 Bridge End \nFrida Kahlo\n\n\n26\n15 Meadside (just 10 mins’ walk from village centre)\nMary Anning\n\n\n27\nDorchester Abbey porch\nJoseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat\n\n\n28\n13 High Street\nBlackbeard\n\n\n\n  \nScarecrow entry for scarecrow makers: £5. \nDorchester Folk can enter a scarecrow for the Scarecrow trail or you can simply stroll around the village and see if you can work out what they are during Festival week \nThe theme is Historical Figures!\nIf you’d like to enter a scarecrow – they can be really simple\, pulled together at the last minute or super creative\, planned way in advance – up to you\, as long as they resemble a historical figure(s). Completed entry forms must be received by Saturday 25 April latest. Scarecrows must be in place by Thursday 30 April 2026. \nTwo ways to enter: \n\nfill out the form below & buy a ticket from the boxoffice for your £5 entry fee\nprint out this form\, fill it in and post it through the letterbox at either 73 High St or 3 Manor Farm Road with £5 entry fee (cheques can be made out to Dorchester Festival)\n\nName / FamilyEmail AddressPhoneAddress (where the scarecrow will be seen)Where will the scarecrow be?What historical figure will your scarecrow represent? Submit Form\nOr simply buy a map and take to the trail during Festival week.  Maps (minimum donation) £4 from the Coop or the Festival Big Tent during Festival week. \nTake a walk around the village\, peek into windows and gardens to guess which historical figures are lurking. Some will be easier to identify than others but it’s all good fun for all ages. Vote for your favourite scarecrow; the makers of the winning scarecrow get a prize! \nScarecrows are all visible from the street so this event is fully accessible to wheelchairs. If you need disabled parking or access do contact us here with your requirements – we’d love to help you! \n  \nShare this:\n Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)\n Facebook\n \n Share on X (Opens in new window)\n X URL:https://dorchesterfestival.com/event/scarecrow-trail/ LOCATION:Dorchester\, High St\, Dorchester on Thames\, Oxfordshire\, OX107HN\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Family,Family & Children ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://dorchesterfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/scarecrow-1.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Dorchester Festival":MAILTO:festival@dorchester-abbey.org.uk END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260501 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260511 DTSTAMP:20261012T073740 CREATED:20251230T061330Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260411T171946Z UID:5057-1777593600-1778457599@dorchesterfestival.com SUMMARY:The Hallidays Community Art Installation - Impressions of Dorchester DESCRIPTION:This event is FREE and available for viewing throughout the Festival week \n \nA collaborative installation of small artworks created by a variety of groups within the local community and by the young people of our charity partner\, Be Free Young Carers. Designed and led and by Oxford-based artist Emma Coleman-Jones\, individual responses to The Abbey\, the village and the local landscape are displayed together in an innovative design inspired by the windows and arches within the Abbey itself. Through the generous support of locally-based and internationally-renowned sculptor David Harber\, the supporting arches used to create the display in the People’s Chapel will be auctioned through the festival to provide additional funds for our charities.  Bid for an arch here! \nThe Installation is now closed to new pieces and we have over 420!  Emma will now collate these into the exhibition for everyone to view through the Festival. \nAt 11am on Saturday 2nd May it will be formally opened by the artists who have created it and we are hoping all the community artists who have contributed will come and see their work in place. \n  \nIf you need disabled parking or access do contact us here with your requirements – we’d love to help you! \nThis event is sponsored by Hallidays \n \nShare this:\n Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)\n Facebook\n \n Share on X (Opens in new window)\n X URL:https://dorchesterfestival.com/event/the-hallidays-community-art-exhibition-impressions-of-dorchester/ LOCATION:Dorchester Abbey\, High Street\, Dorchester-on-Thames\, Oxfordshire\, OX10 7HH\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Art,Art, History, Film & Literature,Family,Family & Children,Free! ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://dorchesterfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/art-installation.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Dorchester Festival":MAILTO:festival@dorchester-abbey.org.uk END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260503T043000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260503T063000 DTSTAMP:20261012T073740 CREATED:20220120T065117Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260417T162421Z UID:4212-1777782600-1777789800@dorchesterfestival.com SUMMARY:Dawn Chorus Walk DESCRIPTION:This event is SOLD OUT but you can add yourself to the waiting list by going to the box office.  We will contact the waiting list in order if customers drop out and want to resell their tickets. \nTickets £20 incl breakfast \nUp with the lark? Get up bright and early to enjoy the most beautiful natural concert of the season on this Dawn Chorus Walk. Birdsong is at its best in May\, so join local naturalists Roger Seabrook and Richard Tilley for an early morning guided amble around Dorchester’s three water meadows\, courtesy of the Hurst Water Meadow Trust. Relax in the amazing wall of sound that is the Dawn Chorus and pick up tips on how to identify birds by their calls. \nIf you prefer a later walk then try the Evensong Walk on Sat 9th May at 8pm \nPlease dress warmly.  Two stiles to cross. Not suitable for dogs unless reliably quiet and well behaved. Please park considerately in the village and be aware of residents still asleep! The Dawn Chorus walk takes one and a half to two hours\, followed by a hot breakfast roll in the Abbey \nTicket price includes breakfast!  Vegetarian and gluten free options available \nWalk starts at the Hurst Water Meadow bridge: what3words ///dissolve.redefined.inflation or grid reference SU5813294311 \nOrganised in collaboration with The Hurst Water Meadow Trust \nShare this:\n Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)\n Facebook\n \n Share on X (Opens in new window)\n X URL:https://dorchesterfestival.com/event/dawn-chorus-walk/ LOCATION:Hurst Bridge CATEGORIES:Family,Family & Children ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://dorchesterfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ChatGPT-Image-Jan-7-2026-07_56_57-PM.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260503T100000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260503T113000 DTSTAMP:20261012T073740 CREATED:20220106T145140Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260118T200534Z UID:3945-1777802400-1777807800@dorchesterfestival.com SUMMARY:Sunday All Age Praise Party DESCRIPTION:The event is FREE! \nJoin us for morning worship in the tent. Lots of interactive fun\, singing\, and praising as well as a short Bible story with a gentle challenge that all ages will understand! \nThis will be led by Chichester Cathedral’s travelling evangelist ‘Deacon Ish’ (Ishmael). He is a singer\, songwriter\, speaker and author. Dorchester Abbey is delighted to have him lead this very special service for everyone and he promises to sing the well known song that he wrote ‘Father God I wonder.’ \nBreakfast style refreshments from 10am \nIf you need disabled parking or access do contact us here with your requirements – we’d love to help you! \n  \nShare this:\n Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)\n Facebook\n \n Share on X (Opens in new window)\n X URL:https://dorchesterfestival.com/event/family-service/ LOCATION:Festival Big Tent\, Dorchester Abbey\, Dorchester on Thames\, Oxfordshire\, OX10 7HH\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Family,Family & Children,Free!,Spiritual ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://dorchesterfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/family-service-1.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Dorchester Festival":MAILTO:festival@dorchester-abbey.org.uk END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260503T170000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260503T173000 DTSTAMP:20261012T073740 CREATED:20220106T111423Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260108T060351Z UID:3917-1777827600-1777829400@dorchesterfestival.com SUMMARY:Dorchester Duck Race DESCRIPTION:Dorchester Duck Race Ducks £5 (£12 for 3) \nThe Dorchester Duck Race is now one of THE essential village Festival events for all ages.  Buy a duck\, customise it and have it launched down the river from the Hurst Water Meadow to a nail biting finish next to the Abbey.  Prizes for the first ducks home! \nDucks available to purchase in advance from Dorchester Coop or from Tentertainment! during the afternoon.  Ducks must be registered in the Tent by 4.45pm to join the race! \nEveryone is welcome to come and join the fun at the finish line in the meadow in front of the Abbey. \nThe access to the finish line is over uneven ground which may be difficult for some wheelchairs.  If you need disabled parking or access do contact us here with your requirements. We would love to help you! \nShare this:\n Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)\n Facebook\n \n Share on X (Opens in new window)\n X URL:https://dorchesterfestival.com/event/dorchester-duck-race/ LOCATION:Bridge End House Meadow\, High St\, Dorchester on Thames\, Oxon\, OX10 7JT\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Family,Family & Children ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://dorchesterfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ducks.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Dorchester Festival":MAILTO:festival@dorchester-abbey.org.uk END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR