Seaham Food Festival

More than 100 traders line the clifftop green above Seaham's harbour, with a cookery theatre pulling in names like Matt Tebbutt, Cyrus Todiwala and Bake Off: The Professionals judge Cherish Finden for live demos. It's the kind of food festival that still feels like a proper town event rather than a corporate roadshow — free to get in, all stalls at ground level along the Green, sea view included.

Go for the demos, stay for the chip-and-ice-cream stroll along Durham's Heritage Coast afterwards. Good one for a family day that doesn't cost anything beyond what you spend on lunch.