Festivals

Sherborne is a small town, but big on Festivals!

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What's Coming Up

Here’s What’s Coming Up in Sherborne and surrounding villages. For What’s Coming Up in the surrounding area please click here

Friday 29 November/Christmas Gin Tasting Evening Abbey View Residential & Nursing Care Home, Fairfield, Bristol Rd, Sherborne DT9 4HD. 6pm Ros Nelmes, Fordington Gin with gins made in Dorset, mince pies & refreshments. Raffle. £5 by 22/11. 01935 813222

Friday 29 November/Lunchtime recital Cheap Street Church, Sherborne DT9 3BJ 1.45pm Members of Sherborne School Choirs perform solos. Free.

Friday 29 November/Origins: Something Understood Sherborne Library, Hound Street, Sherborne DT9 3AA 2-3pm Cindy Chant & John Drabik discuss the early history of Sherborne & how it became a bishopric. Free

Friday 29 November-21 December/ Christmas Exhibition of New Work The Jerram Gallery, Half Moon Street, Sherborne DT9 3LQ. 9.30am-5.00pm Tuesday to Saturday,15 artists. 01305 261849

Saturday 30 November/Henry Blofeld: My A-Z of Cricket Digby Hall, Hound Street, Sherborne DT9 3AA 7pm Cricket raconteur Henry Blofeld talks about his new book. £12 Winstone’s Bookshop, Sherborne. 01935 815261

Saturday 30 November/Christmas Bazaar West End Hall, Sherborne DT9 6AU 12-3.30pm Stalls, Santa’s Grotto, face painting, raffle, bar.

Saturday 30 November/Rob Gee – Forget Me Not, The Alzheimer’s Whodunnit, 7.30 pm at Nether Compton Village Hall. 01935 413220. £12, £10 u18s .

Saturday 30 November/Made in Longburton St James the Great Church, Longburton DT9 5PD 2-4pm Christmas shopping for presents made by residents of Longburton.

Saturday 30 November/Jo Burt ‘Me, Myself & Icons’ The Gugg, Guggleton Farm Arts, Station Road, Stalbridge DT10 2RQ 6.30pm, music 7.30pm, music & stories. £15 (inc glass of mulled wine) Sherborne TIC, The Gugg, Stalbridge PO. On door £20. www.skiddle.com

Saturday 30 November/Magnificat Sherborne Abbey, DT9 3LQ 7.30pm Sherborne Chamber Choir 40th anniversary concert to celebrate the start of Advent. £5-£16 (U18s free) Sherborne TIC

Saturday 30 November -Sunday 1 Dec/Sherborne Crafts for Christmas Digby Memorial Hall, Digby Road, Sherborne DT9 3NL. 10am-4pm An antiques, crafts & collectors market, up to 35 stalls, West Country Fairs. Free

Sunday 1 December/Sherborne 5km Christmas Jumper Run From the Terraces, Sherborne DT9 5NS. 8am registration, 8.25am warm-up, 8.30am 5km run organised by CommuniFit. www.communifit.co.uk or facebook.com/sherborne5km/

Sunday 1 December / Festive Shopping Day Sherborne’s Annual Festive Shopping Day is a fun-filled day out with carol singers, street performers, choirs, bands, orchestras, dancers and more.

Sunday 1 December/Discover Christmas at Susie Watson Designs from 11- 4pm Susie Watson is partnering with Sherborne Castle Wines who will be offering customers tasting of their award-winning wines. Susie Watson Designs, 28 Cheap Street, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 3PX. Tel: 01935 817 641 www.susiewatsondesigns.co.uk

Sunday 1 December/Wrap & Refreshments Abbey View Residential & Nursing Care Home, Fairfield, Bristol Rd, Sherborne DT9 4HD. 10am-4pm Join us for refreshments whilst we wrap for you during Sherborne Festive Shopping Day. Donations to the Yeatman Hospital.

Sunday 1 December/Shoppers’ Carols & Advent Carol Service Sherborne Abbey DT9 3LQ 1.30, 2.30 & 3.30pm A short service on Sherborne’s Festive Shopping Day. 5pm Candlelit Carol Service with music & readings.

Sunday 1 December/New Digby Hall Christmas Market Digby Hall, Sherborne DT9 3AA. 10am-4pm Local produce, crafts, art, gifts, food, drink & jewellery, Boutique in a Bus. Tea, coffee & cakes in aid of The Friends of the Yeatman Hospital.

Sunday 1 December – Sunday 8 December/Christmas Tree Festival Cheap Street Church, Sherborne DT9 3BJ 10am-4.30pm daily. Over 30 trees decorated by local businesses and community groups. Free. Donations gratefully accepted.

Monday 2 December/ U3A Carols Cheap Street Church, Sherborne, DT9 3BJ 11.30am.

Tuesday 3 December/Talk: ‘Dutch Courage & Mother’s Ruin: the Gin Craze’ Digby Hall, Hound Street, Sherborne DT9 3AA 7.15 for 8pm Sherborne Historical Society talk by Dr Richard Barnett. Tea & coffee. £5. Free for members & students www.sherbornehistoricalsociety.co.uk

Tuesday 3 December/Sherborne Abbey Faith & Arts Group: ‘Advent Meditations’ Digby Memorial Hall, Digby Road, Sherborne DT9 3NL 2.15-4.15pm Time to reflect on Advent, indulge in painting, drawing & creative work. Free. Please sign up in the Parish Office.

Tuesday 3 December/Castle Gardens Festive Evening Castle Gardens Centre, New Road, Sherborne DT9 5NR Open til 9pm. Wreath making & home decorating demos, entertainment from St Margaret’s Hospice singing group & a walking magician. Welcome drink. Christmas display.

Tuesday 3 December/Pam Ayres: ‘Up in the Attic’ Digby Hall, Hound Street, Sherborne DT9 3AA 3-4.30pm Pam Ayres talks about her new book of poetry: ‘Up in the Attic’. Book signing afterwards. £12 from Winstone’s Bookshop 01935 816128.

Tuesday 3 December & Thursday 5 December/Traditional Wreath Workshop Unit 11 Old Yarn Mills, Sherborne DT9 3RQ. 6-8.30pm Build your own 12” Christmas wreath with florist Bella Forshall. Festive drinks & munchies included. £32.93 from www.eventbrite.com

Wednesday 4 December/Lunchtime organ recital Sherborne Abbey, DT9 3LQ 1pm 40 minute organ recital by Paul Ellis. Retiring collection.

Wednesday 4 December/Dementia Friends Information Session Trinity Manor Care Home, Bradford Road, Sherborne DT9 6EX 2-4pm

Wednesday 4 December/The Arts Society: ‘Singe we Yule’ Digby Hall, Hound Street, Sherborne DT9 3AA 2 for 3pm & 6 for 7pm Sarah Deere-Jones presents a musical portrait of a Medieval Christmas. £7 guest. http://theartssociety.org/sherborne

Thursday 5 December/An Afternoon with Rosie Lear Sherborne Library, Hound Street, Sherborne DT9 3AA 2-3pm Rosie describes Sherborne Abbey as ‘a gift to the imagination’ which inspired her to write her medieval murder-mystery series. Suitable for adults, free.

Thursday 5 December/Beginning in Family History Trinity Manor Care Home, Bradford Road, Sherborne DT9 6EX 11am-1pm Barry Brock talks about how to investigate your family history & prepare a family tree from various sources. Followed by tea & cake. Free. 01935 594030.

Friday 6 December/Mince Pies Recital Tindall Recital Hall, Sherborne School DT9 3AP 1.45pm-2.20pm Recital by musicians form Sherborne School 01935 812249

Friday 6 December/Jazz: Neville Dickie Trio Cheap Street Church, Sherborne, DT9 3BJ 7.30pm Stride piano, clarinet/saxophones & drums. In aid of Sherborne Voluntary Ambulance and Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance. £15 (inc coffee & mince pies) from Sherborne TIC.

Friday 6 December/Leweston Christmas Fair Leweston School, DT9 6EN 1-6pm A wide range of stalls & boutiques, festive entertainment & refreshments on offer.

Friday 6 December/The 4th Rendezvous Christmas Quiz & Fish & Chip Supper Digby Memorial Hall, Digby Road, Sherborne DT9 3NL 7pm Quiz, bar, raffle. Teams max of 8. £6.50 or £13 (inc fish & chip supper or vegetarian option) from the Rendezvous, Sherborne TIC, or 01935 814496 office@therendezvous.org.uk

Friday 6 December/Inside No.11 – Open Weekend No.11 Old Yarn Mills, Sherborne DT9 3RQ. Exhibition of local art, 20^th century Design, Lighting, Furniture, Pottery & Taxidermy. Muddled wine & cider.

Saturday 7 December/Sherborne Christmas Craft & Gift Fair Digby Memorial Hall, Digby Road, Sherborne DT9 3NL. 10am-4pm An antiques, crafts & collectors market, up to 35 stalls. Free admission. West Country Fairs 01749 677049.

Saturday 7 December/Sherborne Literary Society talk Digby Memorial Hall, Digby Road, Sherborne DT9 3NL. 7pm Talk by Andrew Lownie ‘Dickie & Edwina: The Lives & Loves of the Mountbattens’. £10 Sherborne TIC or www.sherborneliterarysociety.com

Saturday 7 December/Artsreach: Moscow Drug Club Chetnole Village Hall, Sherborne DT9 6NU 7.30pm Musical experience featuring guitar, accordian, double bass, trumpet & vocals, a story set in Eastern Europe. Bar. £10, U18s £6. 07966 177789 or 01935 873555 www.artsreach.co.uk

Saturday 7 December/BVYNTA Christmas Entertainment Digby Hall, Hound Street, Sherborne DT9 3AA 2.30pm A performance of festive music from The Abbey Quartet. Refreshments, raffle. Members £7, guests £9. BVYNTmembership@outlook.com

Saturday 7 December/Christmas Card Making Sherborne Library, Hound Street, Sherborne DT9 3AA 10.30-11.30am Christmas Card Making for all. Free.

Saturday 7 December/Communifit Christmas Party Westend Hall, Littlefield, Sherborne DT9 6AU 3-6pm Bingo, raffle & auction, tea/coffee & bar. Eyes down at 3.30pm. Charity event for Whizz Kids. £5. 07791 308773.

Sunday 8 December/Eco Fair & Supermarket Digby Hall, Hound Street, Sherborne DT9 3AA 9am-1pm Range of crafts & items which have been responsibly sourced with an emphasis on zero waste. Facebook: Eco Fair Sherborne. 07708 372251.

Sunday 8 December/Christmas Tree Festival Carol Service Cheap Street Church, Sherborne, DT9 3BJ 6.30pm Carol Concert amongst Christmas Trees decorated by different groups in the town with Sherborne Town Band.

Monday 9 December/Sherborne Abbey Gift for the Town Sherborne Abbey DT9 3LQ 7.30-9pm Seasonal music & readings. Sherborne Abbey Choir, Town Band, Young Singers & students form Gryphon School. Retiring collection for Weldmar Hospice.

Monday 9 December/Christmas Wreath Making Leweston School, DT9 6EN 2-4.30pm & 5.30-8pm Join Emma Dixon from River Cottage to make a Christmas Wreath & Garland. Mince pie & tea. £35 per workshop. www.lewestonenterprises.co.uk/events

Tuesday 10 December/Sherborne Abbey Faith & Arts Group: Advent Meditations Digby Memorial Hall, Digby Road, Sherborne DT9 3NL 2.15-4.15pm Time to reflect on Advent and indulge in painting, drawing & creative work. Free. Please sign up in the Parish Office.

Tuesday 10 December/An Evening with Philip Marsden Elementum Gallery, South Street, Sherborne DT9 3LU 6.30pm Travel writer Philip Marsden talks about his new book: ‘The Summer Isles – A Voyage of the Imagination’. Drinks. £10 01935 813776

Wednesday 11 December/Sherborne Artslink Flicks Digby Hall, Hound Street, Sherborne DT9 3AA 7.00 for 7.30pm Film: Rocketman (15) Bar from 6.30pm. £6 from Sherborne TIC or on door if not sold out. 01935 815341 www.sherborneartslink.org.uk

Wednesday 11 December/Lunchtime organ recital Sherborne Abbey, DT9 3LQ 1pm 40 minute organ recital by Harold Jackson. Retiring collection.

Wednesday 11 December/Sherborne Late Night Shopping Sherborne DT9 3LQ Shops open until 8pm. Free parking after 6pm. Special offers in participating shops.

Wednesday 11 December/Mulled wine & mince pies Abbey View Residential & Nursing Care Home, Fairfield, Bristol Rd, Sherborne DT9 4HD. 5-8pm Join us for mulled wine & mince pies whilst you do your late night shopping in Sherborne. Donations to the Yeatman Hospital.

Thursday 12 December/Sherborne Museum Behind the Scenes Digby Memorial Hall, Digby Road, Sherborne DT9 3NL. 1.30 for 2pm Members of Sherborne Museum’s research teams and volunteers give an insight into the work they do. £5. Free to Museum members. www.sherbornemuseum.co.uk

Thursday 12 December/Talk: ‘Friends Against Scams’ Abbey View Residential & Nursing Care Home, Fairfield, Bristol Rd, Sherborne DT9 4HD. 11am Trudi Zimmer talks about Friends Against Scams, a National Trading Standards Scam Team initiative – protecting people & communities. Free. 01935 813222

Thursday 12 December/Music & Readings for Christmas The Chapel, Sherborne School DT9 3AP 6-7pm Sherborne School Chamber Choir. In aid of Crisis, together we will end homelessness. £10 from Sherborne TIC & Sherborne School tickets@sherborne.org

Thursday 12 December/Quiz Digby Hall, Hound Street, Sherborne DT9 3AA 2.30pm Sherborne & District Gardeners’ Association Quiz followed by Christmas Party. £2, members free.

Saturday 14 December/Christmas Decoration Crafts Sherborne Library, Hound Street, Sherborne DT9 3AA 10.30-11.30am Christmas decoration making for all. Free.

Saturday 14 December/Santa on his Sleigh Sherborne 8.30am-3.30pm outside Sainsburys. 5.30pm -8.30pm Around Town West. Blackmore Vale Lions. Donations for charity welcomed.

Saturday 14 December-Sunday 15 December/‘Jack & the Beanstalk’ Digby Hall, Hound Street, Sherborne DT9 3AA 2.30pm & 6.30pm each day. Sherborne Amateur Pantomime Society’s annual performance. £9, U2s free, from Sherborne TIC

Sunday 15 December/Christmas Sing-a-long Cheap Street Church, Sherborne, DT9 3BJ 3-5pm Join Sherborne Town Band, Youth Band & Sherborne Community Choir for a festive sing-a-long. Coffee & mince pies in the interval. Raffle. £7 from Sherborne TIC.

Monday 16 December-Monday 23 December/Visit Father Christmas @ Castle Gardens Castle Gardens Centre, New Road, Sherborne DT9 5NR 2-5pm on 16-20 December, 10am-1pm & 2-5pm on 21-23 December

Tuesday 17 December-Sunday 22 December/Santa’s Sleigh Morrisons, West Bay Road, Bridport Come along to See Santa and his sleigh. Donations to Bridport Lions Club. http://www.bridportlionsclub.org/fundraising.html

Wednesday 18 December/Sherboard Games Oliver’s Coffee House, Cheap Street, Sherborne DT9 3PU 7-9pm Eurogames such as Carcassonne, Catan & Ticket to Ride. Refreshments available. Free Facebook & Twitter: @bored_sher

Thursday 19 December/An Afternoon with Stephen Moss Elementum Gallery, South Street, Sherborne DT9 3LU 2.30pm Naturalist Stephen Moss talks about his latest book:’ The Twelve Birds of Christmas’. Mince pies & mulled wine. £10 from Elementum Gallery. 01935 813776

Friday 20 December/Afternoon Tea Dance Digby Hall, Hound St, Sherborne, DT9 3AA. 2.30-5pm Ballroom, Latin & popular sequence. Over 18s, all levels, smart casual dress. £5 01460 240112 dance@dancewessex.co.uk

Friday 20 December/Santa on his Sleigh Sherborne 5.30pm -8.30pm Around Coldharbour. Blackmore Vale Lions. Donations for charity welcomed.

Saturday 21 December/Santa on his Sleigh Sherborne 8.30am-3.30pm outside Waitrose. Blackmore Vale Lions. Donations for charity welcomed.

Monday 23 December/Festive Storytime Sherborne Library, Hound Street, Sherborne DT9 3AA 10.30-11am listen to our favourite stories & join in with a mini craft. Suitable for children aged 2–8 years. Free.

Tuesday 31 December/New Year’s Eve Dance with Strictly Jive! Digby Hall, Hound Street, Sherborne DT9 3AA 8pm Dance into 2020! Dance floor, bar, free parking. Optional ‘All that Glitters ‘ theme. £20 to include nibbles & a glass of bubbly at midnight. www.strictlyjive.com

Wednesday 1 January/New Year’s Day/Blow the Cobwebs Away! Meet at Sherborne Abbey Porch, DT9 3NL 2pm Blue Badge Guide Cindy helps you discover Sherborne’s past with a historical walk around the town. No need to book – just turn up. £8

Wednesday 15 January/Ian Williamson will be speaking about his ‘Adventures in Tasmania’ and his trek across the Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain in Digby Memorial Church Hall, Digby Road, Sherborne, DT9 3NL at 7.30pm. Cost £3.00. An event organised by Sherborne Group of the Dorset Wildlife Trust.

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