August bank holiday: A last hurrah

Not made any plans? Whether you fancy a trip to the sea or a fun-filled festival, our guide has it covered. By Harriet O'Brien

What's the attraction?

As public holidays have become our only collective work-free periods, the August bank holiday has turned into the last blast of the season; a final hurrah ahead of getting back to work or to school. Fortunately, there's a wealth of options for enjoying it.

Join the party

In Liverpool on Sunday and Monday, the Mathew Street Music Festival (0151 233 2008; mathewstreetfestival.org) is one of Europe's largest free annual music events. There will be bands from more than 30 countries playing.

The wacky Shambala Festival in Northamptonshire starts tomorrow and continues until Sunday evening. The exact location is kept a secret until you buy your tickets (online only at shambalafestival.org; £119 adults, £29 children). The line-up is also revealed only when you arrive.

Make for Cumbria, where the eighth Solfest takes place at Tarnside Farm, near Aspatria, from Friday to Sunday. The venue is stunningly picturesque and the line-up features The Saw Doctors and The Stranglers. Book tickets (£89 adults, £25 children) through 01900 602 122 or at solfest.org.uk.

Make a splash

For a nostalgic weekend at the seaside, head to sandy Hope Cove near Kingsbridge in south Devon. The regatta ( bit.ly/phbspu) takes place over the three days of the bank-holiday break – you can join sandcastle-building competitions and go on treasure hunts.

There's more ocean-side entertainment at the Cardiff Harbour Festival ( cardiff-festival.com) from Saturday to Monday. See tall ships and listen to sea shanties, while on Sunday, the British fish-craft championships showcases the UK's best fishmongers.

Newquay offers dramatic spectator sport with the Quiksilver Pro Junior surf fest ( quiksilverlive.com). From Saturday to Monday, watch the action on Fistral Beach and hear live music.

Heritage comes alive

See Kenilworth Castle (01926 852078; english-heritage.org.uk) besieged by armour-clad Normans. The ruins of this great medieval fortress in Warwickshire come under attack on Sunday and Monday – from pike-wielding, costumed re-enactors. Beware the trebuchet, the siege machine hurling heavy stones. In Dorset, there's more action around the ruins of another castle. See the art of jesting at Corfe Castle (01929 481294; nationaltrust.co.uk) including stilt walking and juggling and attend "fools' school" circus skills workshops on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

In Yorkshire, grand Harewood House (0113 218 1010; harewood.org) puts on an extensive family show on Sunday and Monday.

Full steam ahead

The Shrewsbury Steam Engine and Vintage Vehicle Rally (01743 792731; shrewsburysteamrally.co.uk) is on Sunday and Monday at Onslow Park. See vehicles great and small from traction engines, steamrollers and historic buses and lorries to old bicycles. Additional entertainments include demonstrations of birds of prey.

Other steam events this weekend include the Rudgwick Steam and Country Show ( rudgwicksteamshow.co.uk) on the Surrey-Sussex border between Guildford and Horsham and the Morval Vintage Steam Rally ( morval-vintage-rally.co.uk) at Bray Farm, near Looe, in Cornwall.

Capital ideas

The dance music festival South West Four ( southwestfour.com) takes its name from the postcode of its location: Clapham Common SW4. Tickets (£45) are available only for Sunday when Pendulum, Annie Mac and Simian Mobile Disco take to the stage. On Sunday and Monday the Alternative Village Fête ( nationaltheatre.org.uk) is held in the forecourt outside the National Theatre on South Bank. It's a colourful jamboree of avant-garde artists, craftmakers and alternative produce stalls, collectively putting an urban spin on the notion of the traditional village fair. The really big event, though, remains the Notting Hill Carnival on the Sunday and Monday of the bank holiday break ( thenottinghillcarnival.com). Despite the shadow cast by the riots, the show goes on – as it has since 1966 – with costumes, hundreds of food stalls and the air reverberating to the sound of steel bands and sound systems. It will, however, be finishing earlier than usual, at 7pm each evening.

What Google will tell you...

"This summer, Westonbirt, the National Arboretum, is helping families to celebrate the UN's International Year of Forests with free admission for kids and a host of activities exploring the hidden life of forests. Families can take part in a programme of exciting activities... finishing with the ultimate celebration of trees at Westonbirt's new summer bank-holiday event, Treefest."

So says the Forestry Commission (01666 880220; forestry.gov.uk) which is orchestrating a host of activities at Treefest (26-29 August) from woodworking displays and Morris dancing to archery and falconry. Westonbirt Arborteum is three miles south-west of Tetbury, Gloucestershire.

What Google won't tell you... until now

"Last year nearly 12 million Brits planned a trip somewhere in the country over the August bank holiday," says Alex Mawer, marketing director of Visit England. He adds there are plenty of adventurous and unusual outdoors activities on offer. "Try Blokarting – a thrilling sport where yachting meets go-karting – on the beaches of Perranporth and Watergate Bay in Cornwall" (see adventure-cornwall.co.uk). "Or join a bushcraft course in Somerset to learn Bear Grylls-style skills for surviving in the wild" (more information from countrylore.co.uk).