Lakes Alive is a new season of world-class performance and arts events in the spectacular landscapes of Cumbria, the Lake District run by Kendal Arts International in partnership with Manchester International Arts and Tim Garbutt events. Our programme launched from 23-31 May 2009 with Reach for the Sky, a series of six international live aerial spectacles in stunning locations across the county, Bowness-on-Windermere, Carlisle, Penrith, Barrow-in-Furness, Maryport and Whitehaven, and was followed by a summer season of events across the county, culminating for 2009 in Mintfest in Kendal over August bank holiday weekend 27-30 August. An extravaganza of sounds, light and fire with an unforgettable evening performance by Commandos Percu.

Traditional Country Fair featuring foxhound, beagle, terrier and lurcher shows. Terrier racing, children’s sports, clay pigeon shoot , gun dog display, stick show. Brass band, catering and beer tent and up to 60 trade stands. We also hope to add other attractions this year. In a beautiful setting at the bottom of Black Combe and with a true West Cumbria welcome.

Observe the plants, wildlife and landscape of this coastal area. Two short river crossings by volunteer ferry are included. Extra waterproof footwear desirable.

Find out more about the Lake District National Park by visiting our stand at Keswick Agricultural Show and Sheepdog competition. Poultry tent. Cumberland & Westmorland wrestling. Industrial marquee, trade stands, art & craft marquee and vintage machinery display.

Lakes Alive is a new season of world-class performance and arts events in the spectacular landscapes of Cumbria, the Lake District run by Kendal Arts International in partnership with Manchester International Arts and Tim Garbutt events. An extravaganza of sound, light and fire. This unforgettable hour-long show, Bombs Per Minute, is performed by Les Commandos Percu (France). European masters of percussion and rhythmic drumming, Les Commando Percu provide a magnificently striking fiesta for the eyes and ears, with amazing firework effects dancing across the night sky to a thumping musical backdrop. Not to be missed.

Viking bloodshed, hallucinogenic drugs and a cart-chase from Canterbury to Cumbria! Behind every great man stands a great woman and Ymma of Normandy was Queen to both King Ethelred and King Canute. But in this deliciously imaginative play, Ymma is betrothed to Silence, Lord of Cumbria, and must undertake a perilous journey North in the company of Eadric Longshaft and a priest named Roger. Author of West End hit Dinner and co-writer of Jordan (Theatre by the Lake 2007), Moira Buffini’s awardwinning comic drama is a road trip through Dark Ages England with a cast of characters inspired by history and all living on the edge of destruction.

What really happened in the linen cupboard at the Station Hotel? Why does Dr. Prentice need to borrow one of his wife’s dresses, and why isn’t she wearing one? Why does Mrs. Prentice keep seeing naked men? Why is the drugged body of a police sergeant in the garden? And what happened to the missing parts of Winston Churchill? Orton’s comic masterpiece, a fast, frantically funny, Freudian farce takes to the Main House stage.

A warm-hearted American romance set in a snowbound Kansas diner in the 1950s. When a disparate group of bus passengers are forced to spend the night together in Grace’s Diner, they each reveal how love touches their lives. Among them is Cherie, a night club singer, who is trying to get away from Bo Decker, a headstrong young cowboy who intends to marry her and take her back to Montana… “There’s gonna be trouble. I kin feel it in my bones.” A contemporary and friend of Tennessee Williams, Inge won a Pulitzer Prize for his play Picnic and eventually became known as the ‘Playwright of the Midwest’, while Bus Stopwas adapted into the 1956 film of the same name starring Marilyn Monroe.

Viking bloodshed, hallucinogenic drugs and a cart-chase from Canterbury to Cumbria! Behind every great man stands a great woman and Ymma of Normandy was Queen to both King Ethelred and King Canute. But in this deliciously imaginative play, Ymma is betrothed to Silence, Lord of Cumbria, and must undertake a perilous journey North in the company of Eadric Longshaft and a priest named Roger. Author of West End hit Dinner and co-writer of Jordan (Theatre by the Lake 2007), Moira Buffini’s awardwinning comic drama is a road trip through Dark Ages England with a cast of characters inspired by history and all living on the edge of destruction.

By Tennessee Williams. A cramped tenement apartment in 1930s St Louis, a mother clinging frantically to her memories of Southern Belle gentility, a son, a poet with a job in a warehouse, whose only escape is the movies; a daughter as fragile as a piece of her own glass collection and a gentleman caller. Tennessee Williams’ unforgettable memory play and an American classic.

A warm-hearted American romance set in a snowbound Kansas diner in the 1950s. When a disparate group of bus passengers are forced to spend the night together in Grace’s Diner, they each reveal how love touches their lives. Among them is Cherie, a night club singer, who is trying to get away from Bo Decker, a headstrong young cowboy who intends to marry her and take her back to Montana… “There’s gonna be trouble. I kin feel it in my bones.” A contemporary and friend of Tennessee Williams, Inge won a Pulitzer Prize for his play Picnic and eventually became known as the ‘Playwright of the Midwest’, while Bus Stopwas adapted into the 1956 film of the same name starring Marilyn Monroe.

Approach the Pikes from the back, long and grassy across fells from Langstrath. Grade classic. Join Keswick Rambles for group walks with experienced local leaders from Easter to October. Come and enjoy some hidden gems as well as the Lake District classics. The full programme is on our website www.keswickrambles.org.uk If you are a keen walker and enjoy the company of a small group you are sure to find kindred spirits on these walks. Individuals, couples and groups are all welcome. Book in advance with individual leaders or just turn up. Meet outside the Tourist Information Centre at the Moot Hall in Keswick Market Square. All walks last all day and are from 8 to 10 miles, longer for classic walks. Walks come in 4 categories, C - fairly easy walk on mixed ground, valleys or low fells. B - a good days walk with some steep ascents and descents, quite strenuous. A - a serious walk going high with steep ascents, good fitness necessary. Classic - a very long day on the high fells, fit

The girls are back! If you have been waiting to see more of Carrie Bradshaw musing about love and desperately trying to put the spark back into her two-year-old marriage to Mr Big, Samantha finding more men to bed, Charlotte dealing with motherhood and Miranda trying to loosen up, then get happy, because this sparkling sequel to the 2008 box office smash hit promises all this and then some. With shoes, exotic climes, shopping and more shoes, what’s not to like? Starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon and directed by Michael Patrick King. Upgrade your ticket to our Cocktail Special and enjoy a Cosmopolitan before/during the show.

A grassy ridge, wonderful views and a delightful walk through the Newlands Valley back to Keswick. Grade B. Join Keswick Rambles for group walks with experienced local leaders from Easter to October. Come and enjoy some hidden gems as well as the Lake District classics. The full programme is on our website www.keswickrambles.org.uk If you are a keen walker and enjoy the company of a small group you are sure to find kindred spirits on these walks. Individuals, couples and groups are all welcome. Book in advance with individual leaders or just turn up. Meet outside the Tourist Information Centre at the Moot Hall in Keswick Market Square. All walks last all day and are from 8 to 10 miles, longer for classic walks. Walks come in 4 categories, C - fairly easy walk on mixed ground, valleys or low fells. B - a good days walk with some steep ascents and descents, quite strenuous. A - a serious walk going high with steep ascents, good fitness necessary. Classic - a very long day on the hi

An interesting and entertaining show, with slides or digital photographs, presented by a National Park volunteer. Proceeds donated to a local charity.

Catherine is an impressionable 17-year-old, caught up in the social whirl of fashionable Bath, her head full of new dresses, balls, theatres and Gothic novels. When she is invited to stay at ancient and mysterious Northanger Abbey, childhood home of the man of her dreams, Catherine’s imagination starts to work overtime, fuelled by the twilight world of Gothic romance. A fresh and witty adaptation of Austen’s classic novel.

The girls are back! If you have been waiting to see more of Carrie Bradshaw musing about love and desperately trying to put the spark back into her two-year-old marriage to Mr Big, Samantha finding more men to bed, Charlotte dealing with motherhood and Miranda trying to loosen up, then get happy, because this sparkling sequel to the 2008 box office smash hit promises all this and then some. With shoes, exotic climes, shopping and more shoes, what’s not to like? Starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon and directed by Michael Patrick King. Upgrade your ticket to our Cocktail Special and enjoy a Cosmopolitan before/during the show.

Set in the office of a Dublin therapist, this is a chilling, contemporary ghost story dealing with guilt, redemption and loneliness at the heart of a crowded city. Ian leaves the priesthood and becomes a therapist. Can he help a man claiming to have seen the ghost of his dead wife? In this gripping and absorbing psychological drama, McPherson, the multi-award winning author of The Weir, explores what it means to lose faith in God, in relationships and in one’s self and the call that the dead have on us all.

Enjoy an evening guide walk around this organic farm which has been home to the Robinsons and their dairy shorthorns since 1875. The Robinson family will welcome you to Strickley, a family run farm , south east of Kendal. James who will be leading this walk is the fifth generation to farm this land which is made up of 250 actes of pastures, meadows, woodland and pond, with some areas kept as wildlife habitats.Find out about the challenges that face a dairy farmer today and learn about the pro active work to enhance the environment on the farm. Come prepared for all weathers, wellington boots or walking boots are recommended. Well behaved dogs on leads are welcome.The event is free and light refreshments will be available at the end of the walk, donations to North West Air Ambulance are welcome.

Billy Mitchell and Bob Fox the North East's best folk band here at Muncaster in aid of the World Owl Trust, don't miss out buy yours now. Only 120 tickets available. There will be food and a bar available on the night.

Only just over 500m high Melbreak gives you superb views of the Buttermere Fells and lakes. Grtade B. Join Keswick Rambles for group walks with experienced local leaders from Easter to October. Come and enjoy some hidden gems as well as the Lake District classics. The full programme is on our website www.keswickrambles.org.uk If you are a keen walker and enjoy the company of a small group you are sure to find kindred spirits on these walks. Individuals, couples and groups are all welcome. Book in advance with individual leaders or just turn up. Meet outside the Tourist Information Centre at the Moot Hall in Keswick Market Square. All walks last all day and are from 8 to 10 miles, longer for classic walks. Walks come in 4 categories, C - fairly easy walk on mixed ground, valleys or low fells. B - a good days walk with some steep ascents and descents, quite strenuous. A - a serious walk going high with steep ascents, good fitness necessary. Classic - a very long day on the high fel