Places

First up, we have all our music festivals. Once the preserve of welly wearing, beer fuelled folk who didn't mind spending a weekend in a damp muddy field, Surrey's musical events are now in a class of their own.

Largest of all and in its 18th year, Stoke Park's Guilfest, held mid-July, expects to attract up to 20,000 people per day with some big names such as Motorhead, Brian Wilson and The Happy Mondays!

Not to be outdone, Croydon Summer Festival boasts some great acts too, including Candi Staton and festival favourites The Proclaimers.  The festival celebrates the season with a World Party and a Mela, on the first weekend of August, in Lloyd Park.

Epsom racecourse is better known for gee gee's than Bee Gees but Epsom Live! held at the venue throughout July promises to rock the Downs with names such as Status Quo and Scouting For Girls.

Smaller, but still perfectly formed is the one-day Rudgwick Music Festival, held mid-August at the Springbok Estate, Alfold, featuring some of the best local bands around.

For those who like their music a little more folk and a little less full-on, there's Croydon Folk and Blues Festival, in July, held in the grounds of Ruskin House.

And last but by no means least, family friendly Weyfest at The Rural Life Centre in Tilford, rounds off the music festival season nicely, in the first week of September.

Still in a musical vein but with a splash of theatre thrown in for good measure is the Polesden Lacey Festival. The 2009 event, held at the National Trust stately home at the beginning of July, hosts a mixed bag from 70's chart toppers Hot Chocolate to a production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. 

Guildford Summer Festival kicks off mid-June and offers a variety of events including art, drama, sports, community activities, tours, walks, workshops, fairs, music, outdoor theatre and more. The events are spread around the Borough.

Kingston's International Youth Arts Festival 2009 offers a celebration of theatre for young people, centering on the Rose Theatre at the beginning of July.

The end of August sees a return of the "7th Amazing Thailand Festival", held at Secretts in Milford. Sample authentic Thai food, along with cultural arts and crafts,  dancing and music.

For those of you who like their festivals to be grown in a test tube and served up on a  Petri Dish, the University of Surrey is hosting this year's British Science Festival at the beginning of September and promises "the biggest celebration of science, engineering and technology in Europe". 

In mid-July, Abbey Fields in Chertsey plays host to what is probably the oldest fair in the area - The Black Cherry Fair - first established in 1440! Running over three days, with the main event on the Saturday, the fair has live bands, fairground, bar and barbecue, and even a town procession to open proceedings! 

Another long standing tradition is Swan Upping - the annual census of Her Majesty's swan population on stretches of the Thames in several counties including the stretch at Sunbury in Surrey. It takes place in the third week of July.

More watery entertainment on the Thames at Kingston mid-July when the Rotary Dragon Boat Challenge takes place.  Hundreds of competitors battle it out in the colourful boats to determine who makes it into the final. Market stalls, sideshows and bouncy castles and rides for the kids add extra entertainment for the crowds.