TWELVE hours of live music and dancing will take place in and around Freshwater Bay this Saturday.

A Day at the Bay, a free charity event organised by David Ballard, is in its third year and offers a lively mix of music and storytelling at a range of venues, including Freshwater Independent Lifeboat Station, Dimbola Lodge and Freshwater Parish Hall, Victoria Road.

New this year is a walk and talk through Afton Marsh with Gift to Nature.

The music starts at 10am at two different venues.

At the parish hall, Island folk group Guith will start the proceedings followed by the Brighstone Barnacles and Riverflow.

Meanwhile, at the same time at the lifeboat station, there is a Day of Dance with Moonshine Border Morris and Bloodstone Border Morris with guests Bay Wailers, Bunker Girls and Wight Hot Pipes.

Captain Nash will also host his pirate party at 1.30pm.

The Albion Hotel welcomes Coppersmith, Return of Penguin Brolly and Damien Paul.

Mr Charles Dickens, courtesy of Origins Theatre, is at St Agnes Church to introduce the Stanza poetry group and music from Camerata, JC Grimshaw's Gramophone Party, Wight Harmony and Ryde's RUG Band.

In the Piano Cafe, local musician Ollie Ducie is followed by Mark Thomas and Abacus Duo.

There is music at the URC church hall, Guyers Road.

In the morning, Strings and Things from 11am includes Red Sqwrl and Wight Ukers. In the afternoon Jim Thorn is back with his Jazz Cafe from 3pm to 5pm.

Danton, Stephen J Parkes, Millicent's Favourite and 2nd Time Around support the event again, this time at Dimbola Museum and Galleries. The evening's entertainment in Julia's Tearoom at Dimbola Lodge has a Folk Session and Nick Cane is back with his Blues, Roots and Jazz Party.

Donations at each venue will be distributed among several Island charities, including Isle of Wight Pride, the Julia Margaret Cameron Trust, Kissy Puppy and Mountbatten.

For full details, visit www.adayatthebay.co.uk