MORE than 20,000 people are expected to flock to the Dorset Seafood Festival in Weymouth this weekend.

The two-day festival, organised by the Harbour Traders Association, is part of the Spirit of the Sea maritime festival and organisers have promised it will be bigger and better than before.

The event will raise cash for The Fisherman’s Mission, a charity that offers support to UK fisherman, families and those connected with the sea.

The festival also aims to promote the local seafood industry and encourage more people to eat sustainable seafood.

There will be a seafood village on both sides of the harbour featuring different local species of fish and shellfish, available raw and cooked.

The specialist stalls will be supported by cooking demonstrations from celebrity chef Mark Hix, the 2009 Masterchef winner Matt Follas, John Wright from River Cottage and a number of chefs who got through to the final heats of Dorset’s Young Seafood Masterchef competition.

Last year celebrities Jonathan Ross and Rory McGrath visited the festival.

The main fundraising charity events include the Guinness cross-harbour swim, the gruesome fish tucker trials and, for bargain hunters, the fish auction.

There will also be displays by the Historic Diving Association, a puppet theatre and street entertainers, with a full two-day programme of folk and sea shanty music in Hope Square.

Weymouth balloon sculptor Kevin Hart has created a range of sculptures especially for the Dorset Seafood Festival.

Mr Hart will be working in conjunction with Floods Spec-iality Fish Restaurant, which will be hosting a display of his work.

The ‘chief balloonatic’ will be displaying an underwater scene, a fish supper and a seafood platter on the Floods stand at the festival.

Organiser Lisa Worthington said: “This year is going to be bigger and better than ever before. We’ve got extra celebrity chefs this year, up to 50 stands and two demonstration stages rather than just one.

“It’s in a beautiful location and one of the beacon events in the county’s social diary. We have Pommery Champagne as the title sponsor and the fact that they have recognised it as a good festival to back demonstrates it is a festival that is operating at a certain level.”

A spokesman for Brewers Quay said: “We are expecting 20,000 people and it promises to be a great weekend.”

What's on

TODAY:

Henri Lloyd Weymouth Regatta, Keelboats, Weymouth Bay, 10am-4pm.

Weymouth Through Time, Old Town Hall, 11am-4.30pm.

Battle of 1645 Tour, Old Town Hall, 2pm.

Purbeck Film Festival Nothe Fort Screening, The Nothe Fort, 7.30pm.

TOMORROW:

Dorset Seafood Festival, Weymouth Harbour, 10.30am-6.30pm.

International Maritime Modelling Festival, Weymouth, 10am-5pm.

SailLaser TrySail, Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, 10am-5pm.

Henri Lloyd Weymouth Regatta, Keelboats, Weymouth Bay, 10am-4pm.

Sea Kayak Demo Days, Overcombe Beach, 10am-4pm.

Artwey Exhibition and Demonstrations, Pilgrim House/Harbourside, 11am-5pm.

Weymouth Through Time, Old Town Hall, 11am-4.30pm.

Big Grove Summer Festival, YOI The Stadium, Portland, noon-midnight .

EVERY DAY:

Beach Live, Weymouth Beach (to Sunday July 11), weekends 3.30pm-10pm, weekdays 6.30pm-10pm.

Pebbles, Boats and the Sea, Chesil Beach Centre, 10am-4.30pm.

A Rat’s Tail, The Old Town Hall, July 4 and 11 from 10am-5pm (workshop), July 3, 7, 10 and 14 at 2.30pm, July 3, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15 and 16 at 7.30pm.

Jurassic Kayak Tours, Weymouth and Lulworth, 9am-1pm.

Blue Gym Enjoying Water Sessions, Weymouth Bay and Harbour.

* Some of the listed events have a cost and booking procedure. For full details please refer to the website www.spiritofthesea.org.uk, pick up an event programme from Weymouth Tourist Information Centre or telephone 01305 785747.