Three days of foodie fun kick off in Cockermouth today.

The three-day Taste Cumbria festival has masses on offer.

All palettes and ages are catered for with a range of activities and entertainment in a selection of town centre locations.

They include a food fair and cookery demonstrations on Main Street and a hot food court and entertainment in Market Place.

Some of the festival's events, including a pop-up restaurant at Wordsworth House and Garden and a Secret Gin Garden at Castlegate House Gallery, are already sold out.

The event, organised by CN Events, is expected to bring thousands of people into the town, and businesses hope it will have a positive impact on trade.

Steve Bishop, chairman of Cockermouth Chamber of Trade, welcomed the fact the event is this year encouraging people to venture further in the town, with a wider range of venues in use, and hopes it will impact on the shops.

He said: “Hopefully people will support local shops as well as the stalls.”

Andrew Marshall, owner of Strolling4Shoes in Main Street, said: “I always look forward to it. It’s huge for the town, especially this year as the organisers have worked hard to move people around the town to lots of different venues, which is great for retailers.”

Here's all you need to know

Free events

Main Street producers’ market and street entertainment - 10am to 5pm

Market Place hot food court and entertainment - 10am to 5pm

Children’s rides, entertainment and giant sandpit next to Sainsbury’s, Station Road - 10am to 5pm

Coffee Kitchen Company - Grub club with Andy Walsh of The Coffee Kitchen - 3pm Saturday and Sunday

Beer festival

Taking place at The Maltings, Jennings Brewery, the beer festival has free entry for the first time

Friday, 5pm to 10pm

Saturday, 11am to 10pm

Sunday, noon to 4pm

Free demonstrations

(Main Street marquee, Saturday and Sunday)

10am - Carvetii, Cumbria’s Coffee Roasters

Noon - Rich Collingwood, Cottage in the Wood, Whinlatter

1pm Brandon Shepherd, Rothay Manor, Ambleside

2pm - Sarah Kekus, The Health Architect, Cockermouth

3pm - Luke Whittle, The Forest Side, Grasmere

4pm Jon Fell, The Green Room Restaurant, Rosehill

Masterclasses

(Cockermouth Kitchen Company, Market Place - Saturday and Sunday - entry £10 on the door)

11am Sarah Kekus, The Health Architect - what a nutritionist really eats

Noon Helen Askew, The Tipsy Filly - fun and fancy cocktails

1pm Maria Benjamin - making soap from milk

Elsewhere in the town

Cafe-bar pizza night at The Coffee Kitchen, Challoner Street - this evening

Laurent Perrier Champagne bar, Trout Hotel's Terrace Courtyard where guests can mix their own cocktails with The Lakes Gin and The Lakes Vodka, a Peroni bar with Peroni cocktails, barbecue and tapas - Saturday and Sunday from 11am

Gin-themed weekend at Strolling4Shoes on Main Street offering a free miniature with every purchase

Shill's of Cockermouth will host a Spanish showcase of food and drink on Saturday and live music on Sunday

Taste trails

Two trails - one for little foodies and one for grown ups - will guide visitors around the town and into local businesses. Ask for maps at the information point on Main Street.

Transport and access

A park and ride service will run from Mitchells Livestock Centre off Lamplugh Road, costing £5 per car for all-day parking.

Stagecoach's X4, X5 and 600 services bring passengers into the town. For timetables visit www.stagecoachbus.co.uk

The car parks at Bitter Beck, Riverside, Wakefield Road and Sullart Street will all be open.

Main Street will be closed to traffic between Sullart Street and Station Street from 2pm today (Friday) until 9pm Sunday. There is no parking on Main Street from 8am today. Station Street will be two-way during the closure.