It’s green for go for this year’s Planet Wimborne Green Festival.

A full and varied programme of green-themed events and activities is on offer in Wimborne between 15 and 22 October, encouraging people to live more sustainably and protect the natural world.

The Green Festival will kick off on the Minster Green on Saturday 15 October with an official opening by the Mayor, Cllr Carol Butter, at 10.30am. The Green is also the venue for the ever-popular apple pressing, along with stands manned by a whole host of local eco and green groups.

Whether your interest lies in food, nature, craft, gardening, waste prevention, energy efficiency or the grandeur of the night skies, you’ll find something to tickle your fancy.

Local businesses are taking part in a Global Goals Trail around the town, and if you want advice on reducing your energy bills this winter, head to Dacombes on either Saturday.

If you’ve got children, they’ll enjoy craft events at Walford Mill and the Museum of East Dorset. You can join a walk along the River Allen at Deans Court or catch a film at Colehill Village Hall; you can learn new skills at ‘make do and mend’ and beeswax-wrap-making workshops. There’s also the chance to sample some locally made honey or produce from Wimborne Community Garden.

Linda Bunting, lead organiser for the festival, said: “This year we have put on a mix of events to appeal to all the family and look forward to welcoming everyone to our events.”

Discover Wimborne and the Global Goals

Planet Wimborne has teamed up with shops and businesses in Wimborne to create the Global Goals Trail as part of the Wimborne Green Festival.

Families visiting Wimborne over the week of the festival can wander around the town to search out the 17 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals in shop and business windows. Once they have found at least 10 of the goals, they can enter a prize draw to win sustainably themed prizes. Of course, the aim is to collect all 17.

Neil Smith, one of the organisers of the Green Festival said: “We hope families enjoy the Global Goals Trail and use it to explore the town, visit local shops and learn about the goals. The 17 goals are incredibly important as they set out a course of action to end poverty and inequality and tackle the climate and ecological crisis. They are just as applicable here in Dorset as the rest of the world.”

You can find the full programme details and booking information at planetwimborne.org/wimborne-green-festival or facebook.com/WimborneGreenFestival/