The bank holiday weekend weather may be looking a bit hit and miss but fear not, we've a great list of things to help brighten your time off.

From a food festival in the south of Cumbria to a jesters tournament in the west and craft fairs in the north, there's a wealth of events and activities to banish the boredom.

Forecasters are expecting Saturday to be a day of sunny intervals.

Sunday is due to be nice and sunny on the west coast and inland around Keswick. However, other Lake District areas, such as Windermere and north Cumbria can expect sunny intervals - in between the clouds.

Bank holiday Monday is predicted to be cloudy with a smattering of sunny spells in various locations - but at least the rain looks set to stay away.

Beatrix Potter Walks with National Trust at Ravenglass Railway - Saturday May 28:  Take a walk with a National Trust Ranger to Penny Hill working farm, the only farm Beatrix Potter owned in Eskdale. Find out about Beatrix Potter and the National Trust while walking alongside the beautiful River Esk. From Dalegarth station, the three-hour walk starts at noon and the distance is a family-friendly 3.4 miles (return) along rough countryside paths – it can get muddy after wet weather.


Baby Animal Handling Workshops at Dock Museum, Barrow - Saturday May 28: Wetheriggs Animal Sanctuary are heading to The Dock Museum for a full day of baby animal handling sessions with rabbits, guinea pigs, chicks, rodents, snakes, lizards and more. Booking is advisable.

National Canoeing Week on Windermere - Saturday May 28:  As one of the only access points to Windermere, Fell Foot is supporting National Go Canoeing Week this year. Come and join in and have a go at canoeing and see how many miles you can clock up. Bring your own boat or hire one of the centre's.

Hutton Roof County Fair and Fell race, at Hutton Roof Village Hall - Saturday May 28

A great family day out with traditional games and sports from the sack race to the egg and spoon race plus stalls, crafts, children's activities, animals and cakes. Lots of free stuff to take part in such as a circus workshop, a painting competition and an indoor play area. There will also be a bouncy castle, giant slide and bungee trampoline.

Taste Ulverston Saturday May 28 and Sunday 29:  Back for its third year, Ulverston plays host to the Taste Cumbria festival again by taking over the streets of South Lakeland’s own festival town, selling the best food and drink Cumbria has to offer. From cookery demonstrations to family entertainment and bouncy castles and live music for all the family.

Brougham Hall Craft Fair, near Penrith - Saturday May 28 to Monday 30:  Come along to the Brougham Hall craft fair in Penrith, where a craft marquee will be packed full of a wide selection of British crafts and giftware from around the world, including clothing, ceramics, soft toys, jewellery, candles, soaps, cakes and much more. There will be lots of activities and entertainment for all the family.

How to be a Redcoat, at Carlisle Castle - Saturday May 28 to Sunday June 5:  Become a first class soldier this May half-term as Cumbria’s mini soldiers are put through their paces at Carlisle Castle. Carlisle has a long military history so what better place to start your training, with kids’ hands on activities? March and train like a Redcoat, named after the vibrant famous red uniforms once worn by British soldiers between the 17th and 19th centuries.

Pixie People and Fairy Folk, at Lowther Castle - Saturday May 28 to Sunday June 5:  Calling all Pixie Seekers and Fairy Finders. Head to Lowther Castle for a week of whimsical fun. With faith, trust and just a little bit of pixie dust catch a glimpse of the magical world where the little people dance and play. Make your own wand and head dress and take part in other activities in the Wonderland Workshop then follow the Fabulous Fairy and Plucky Pixie Trail through the enchanted gardens.


Classic Cars in the Park, at Hutton-in-the- Forest - Sunday May 29:  At the historic gardens and home of Lord and Lady Inglewood, there will be classic cars, bikes, tractors and light commercials set in the park with a tea room and topiary garden.

Muncaster Festival, at Muncaster Castle - Sunday May 29 and Monday 30:  A carnival atmosphere is set to take over the castle as performers from all around gather to compete in the International Jesters Tournament to battle it out to be crowned the fool of Muncaster 2016. There will be Astral Stu and his Big Top circus workshop, archery, aerial shows, a climbing wall and something for everyone to do - just keep an eye out for the ghost of Tom Fool himself.

Upperby Gala, at Hammonds Pond, Carlisle - Sunday June 30:  The Upperby Gala is a very popular family event set in parkland to the east of the city. There will be face painting, professional entertainers, and lots of other activities to enjoy and take part in, along with a selection of local stalls too. The Voice star Jolan will be providing entertainment at the event.

Storytelling with Ian Douglas, at Rheged - Monday May 30:  Visitors of all ages can enjoy this dynamic storytelling experience. Join Ian, one of Cumbria’s leading storytellers and performers, as he takes you on an adventure of tales, myths and legends passed down by generations.

Story Telling Week, at Abbot Hall, Kendal - Monday May 30 to Friday June 3:  With titles like Headthinker VIII and the Medieval Cloud Girls, Laura Ford’s sculptures at Abbot Hall immediately grab your attention and the rooms at Blackwell have some intriguing visitors. Inspired by Laura Ford’s intriguing sculptures and Beatrix Potter’s anniversary create your own cast of characters using wire or collage and place them in their very own story. 

Owls at Rheged - Monday May 30 to Friday June 3:  Enjoy a close encounter with some amazing owls at Rheged. Experts from Eagle Enterprises will be on hand to answer any questions and share some fascinating facts. For anyone feeling adventurous, individuals can be photographed holding an owl of their choice, for a small charge and will receive a postcard photograph to take away.

Bushcraft with Reach Beyond, at Rheged - Monday May 30 to Friday June 3:  Have a real-life adventure exploring the outdoors with Ullswater based Reach Beyond Adventure. Archery, Fire lighting, camp cooking, gadget making and make a survival whistle from elder wood using bushcraft tools, will all be suitable for very young children. 

There are also a number of events going on throughout school half-term week. Among them are:

Make Alien Toothpaste, at The Beacon, Whitehaven - Tuesday May 31:  Come and see how aliens clean their teeth. Using chemical reactions you can create a toothpaste explosion good enough to clean an alien’s teeth.


Mister Maker, at The Forum, in Barrow - Tuesday May 31:  Come and join your ultimate arts and craft hero Mister Maker, for his first ever live theatre tour. Packed full of arty adventures there’ll be a big 'make' to take part in, super songs to join in with, a fabulous supporting cast, and not forgetting, The Shapes. Children will be able to share the fun with Mister Maker's colourful all-dancing friends Circle, Square, Rectangle and Triangle too.

Make a Star Wars diorama, at Rheged - Tuesday May 31:  Create your favourite Star Wars characters and make a cardboard landscape for your next galactic battle. Check out the Rheged website for prices and information on how to book.

Blunderbus Theatre Presents: The Sorcerer's Apprentice, at Rheged - Wednesday June 1:  This new show comes to life with an irresistible blend of music, puppetry and storytelling, with an enchanting toy shop setting filled with all sorts of magical surprises. Charlie Hubble is a little boy with a very big dream, who wants to be a world-class magician. So, he saves up his pocket money to buy The Big Book of Magic for Trainee Magicians. 

Write and play like a Georgian, at Wordsworth House, Cockermouth - Wednesday June 1:  Learn about 18th Century letter writing, pen your own and seal it with wax, at the home of William Wordsworth.

Cartoon Circus Live, at Ulverston Coronation Hall - Wednesday June 1, and Millom Palladium - Thursday June 2:  All the fun of the circus comes to Ulverston and Millom in the half-term holidays. Combining the comedy of pantomime with the thrill of the circus, the 80-minute show features some of Britain's funniest clowns, traditional slapstick comedy, magic, illusions, balancing, high flying diabolos, cartoon characters, plate spinning, an acrobatic human slinky, puppets, prizes and surprises.

Clay Creations, at Tullie House, in Carlisle - Thursday June 2:  Taking inspiration from the ceramics in the Cumbrian Art exhibition, design and create your own clay creation using air drying clay.

Family Xplorers at Grizedale Forest - Thursday June 2:  Get into the great outdoors and take the fun navigational challenge for families at Grizedale Forest. Search for secret markers using a simple orienteering map of the forest, time yourselves against the clock on either the easy course, suitable for three to seven-year-olds that is pushchair friendly, or the slightly harder course for older children. 

Big Eden Puppet Adventure, at Rheged - Thursday June 2:  Join Eden Rivers Trust for this fun and creative puppetry workshop, where your child will dream up a story full of adventure, action, peril and twists and turns, all set on the River Eden, and create a puppet to bring their story to life. 

Owl Day, at World of Beatrix Potter, in Bowness - Thursday June 2:  Come to the Attraction and meet some real owls of all shapes and sizes - maybe even Old Mr Brown Owl from the Tale of Squirrel Nutkin. It is guaranteed to be such a hoot. VIP owl visitors will be able to attend between 11am and 4pm in the Peter Rabbit garden.

Appleby Horse Fair - Thursday June 2 to Wednesday 8:  The horse fair is held every year in early June and has taken place since the reign of James II. Since then, around 70,000 English and Welsh gypsies, Scottish travellers and Irish travellers have converged each year to buy and sell horses, meet with friends and relations, and celebrate their similar lifestyles. The fair is one of the oldest horse fairs in Britain. It is held outside the town on what was formerly called Gallows Hill, which is now known as Fair Hill.

Paint the Town Red, at Workington - Saturday June 4:  Paint the Town Red is back, bringing excitement, colour and fun to the streets of Workington and to Vulcan Park. Wander through the town centre and see some of the finest UK street theatre acts or head over to The Hub and check out some amazingly talented local performers. Vulcan Park will be bursting at the seams with entertainment including live music on the main stage, family friendly activities and a market. 

Watercolour Painting, at Tullie House, in Carlisle - Saturday June 4:  Design and create your own artwork using watercolour pencils taking inspiration from the watercolour paintings in the Cumbrian Art exhibition.

Walter Lemonface, at The Kirkgate, in Cockermouth - Saturday June 4:  A fun-filled, interactive experience for the whole family. Join adventurer, fearless inventor and connoisseur of carrots, Walter Lemonface as he hunts for rhubarb ogres, battles ghosts and finds a new adventure around every corner. Oh, and he has a yellow head that looks like a lemon!