What's On in Shepton Mallet is brought to you by the Bath & West Showground — home to the biggest events in Somerset

Shepton Mallet is not exactly easing into the weekend, with The Big Draw in Collett Park, Malletfest 26 at Shepton Mallet Football Club, 2nd2None driving experiences at The Bath and West Showground, and Mapping Connections at the library. Add ongoing dance sessions, Soulfired Sauna events and a dog-training evening at the prison, and the town has rather confidently filled the page.

Across Shepton Mallet, Wells, Glastonbury and Street, there is outdoor theatre, community collections, music, drawing, driving, opera, carers support, a giant culture map and a dog-training session at a prison. So, a normal quiet few days in Mendip, then.

On Thursday, 25 June, Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles at The Bishop's Palace brings The Pantaloons to The Bishop's Palace and Gardens in Wells. The open-air performance is set for the South Lawn, with audiences invited to bring a picnic blanket or camping chair. Tickets are listed as £16 for adults, £14 for Friends of the Palace, £10 for children aged five to 17, and £45 for a family ticket for two adults and two children. It is a fundraising event for the Palace Trust, with detective work, comedy and probably fewer sensible hats than Holmes would normally recommend.

On Friday, 26 June, Collection for Ukraine takes place at Doulting Village Hall, BA4 4PL, from noon until 7pm. The collection is being held on behalf of Somerset Aid for Ukraine, with donations including medical supplies, over-the-counter medication, mobility aids, toiletries, food, pet supplies, household items, bedding, electronics, tools and generators requested. Clothing cannot be accepted for this collection because the containers are full, which is a very practical problem and not one to solve by turning up with three bin bags anyway.

Also on Friday, Glastonbury Carers Support and Information Group meets at Brunel's Glastonbury Care Home, Pike Close, BA6 9PZ. The free informal group is for people who regularly support a friend, family member or loved one, with social time, shared ideas, visiting speakers and support information. It meets on the fourth Friday of the month at 10.30am, and first-time attendees are asked to call Cath on 07535 279359 in case of schedule changes. Cake and a cuppa are mentioned, which remains one of the more reliable forms of community infrastructure.

Saturday, 27 June, is where the diary starts behaving as though it has had too much coffee. In Shepton Mallet, The Big Draw takes place in Collett Park, with SWEDA and Flock inviting people of all ages and artistic abilities to help create a large collection of drawings about the community, people and place. Entry is free, with donations welcome, and activities include portraits, Walk N' Draw, nature designs, printmaking and a giant community project. Bring a T-shirt for printmaking, and possibly your best "I haven't drawn since school" excuse.

Also on Saturday in Shepton Mallet, 2nd2None Driving School – under 17s and HGV takes place at The Bath and West Showground. The experience is open to anyone aged 10 and over, subject to the minimum height requirement, with no provisional licence needed. There are also HGV driving opportunities for people aged 17 and over who hold a full licence. It is not every weekend that "learning to drive" and "HGV DAF XF Tractor Unit" share the same local diary slot, but here we are.

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Also on Saturday, Malletfest 26 takes over Shepton Mallet Football Club from 1.30pm to 1.30am. The line-up includes Absolute Oasis, Luke Potter, Paper Planes, Eddie Dean and Troy Ellis, with special guests also promised. DMEHCE DJs are also listed, so the silence between acts has wisely been shown the door. Advance tickets are priced at £25, and tickets are still expected to be available on the gate. No food or drink can be brought into the venue, cash and card will be accepted inside, disabled parking and disabled access will be available, and there is no designated public parking.

In Wells on Saturday, RAFA-MSB 80th anniversary lunch takes place at Wells Golf Club, Blackheath Lane, BA5 3DS, from 12.15pm. The formal two or three-course lunch includes arrival drinks, choices for each course, tea or coffee, a RAFA dedication, a welcome from the president, a game of Heads or Tails, chat and jokes, and a glass of port for the Loyal Toast. That is quite a lot before anyone has even got to the "frivolity to end" bit.

Also on Saturday, Ska and Reggae Night takes place at The Unity Club in Street. Tickets are available at the bar, with the event celebrating reggae and ska, classic anthems and dancing. The listing does not confirm a start time, so anyone planning their evening should check directly with the venue before polishing their dancing shoes to an unnecessary shine.

On Sunday, 28 June, The Pirates of Penzance comes to St Cuthbert's Church, St Cuthbert Street, Wells, BA5 2AW. Opera in a Box is returning after last year's performance of The Magic Flute, with one performance only. Tickets are listed as £20, or £15 for students, with tickets available online and on the door. The listing also mentions an interval bar with Pimm's, because apparently the pirates have standards.

Also on Sunday, Mapping Connections - Free Drop-in Arts Activity takes place at Shepton Mallet Library from 11.30am to 3pm as part of MidSummerFest in Shepton Mallet. The free workshop invites people to share their roots, stories and heritage through a collaborative Culture Map, led by Bite The Apple CIC. All ages are welcome, though children must bring an adult. No experience is needed, which is always reassuring when the words "large collaborative artwork" appear in public.

Also on Sunday, 28 June, Freecycle takes place at Wells Leisure Centre car park from 10am to noon. The event is being promoted by Sustainable Wells and is based on the simple freecycle idea: bring along unwanted usable items, or pick up something someone else no longer needs, all for free. A tidy little win for cupboards, sheds and the planet — assuming everyone resists the urge to take home more than they brought.

The wider Shepton Mallet Midsummer Festival also continues until Sunday, 28 June, across various locations. The 10-day multi-venue music and arts festival includes free and ticketed events, with jazz, an outdoor ceilidh, punk, folk, indie music, spoken word, community art and children's activities listed among the highlights. Arthur Brown is also due to perform at the Art Bank, and the Prison Yard Party closes the festival on Sunday. Subtle little week, then.

For those looking at exhibitions, Harry Brockway: Ways With Wood Exhibition continues at Somerset Rural Life Museum in Glastonbury until Wednesday, 2 September. The exhibition celebrates the life and work of Glastonbury-based artist Harry Brockway, with wood engravings, woodcuts and wooden sculpture. Normal museum admission applies, with adult tickets listed at £11, concessions at £9, children aged five to 17 at £5.25, and under-fives free. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm.

In Wells, WOWFest: Wells Orchestral Weekend is also under way, with free fringe concerts running before the main festival weekend in July. The fifth edition will welcome young musicians from the USA, Brazil, the Netherlands, the UK and Ireland, with concerts and workshops taking place across Wells. The full event runs from 20 June to 12 July, which is either a festival or a very determined musical takeover, depending on how full your calendar already is.

Several regular Shepton Mallet sessions are also continuing at Make the Sunshine Studio, 17 High Street. Sunshine Sisters Dance runs on Thursdays from 1.45pm to 2.45pm until 16 July, with no experience needed. LUMEN Dance Collective also runs on Thursdays from 4.30pm to 5.30pm until 16 July for young people, with sessions led by Mandy Redmond. ASCEND Dance continues with inclusive dance sessions for young people who are deaf, disabled or neurodiverse, with upcoming dates listed as 7 and 21 July. Sensible shoes: probably wise. Jazz hands: optional, but never entirely ruled out.

Also continuing in Shepton Mallet, Connect Play Create for under 5s runs at Make the Sunshine Studio until 20 July, offering creative movement for babies, toddlers and pre-school children with parents and carers. Theatre Sessions for 7-12 Year Olds continue on Wednesdays from 3.30pm to 4.20pm until 15 July, led by professional actor and theatre-maker George Oliver, with sessions priced at £6.50.

At Rock Farm, Windsor Hill Lane, Shepton Mallet, Soulfired Lates continues until 31 July, with evening sauna sessions priced at £12.50, or £9 for members. Private hire is listed at £90, or £75 for members. Women's Soulfired Sessions also continue at Soulfired Sauna, with the next listed date on Friday, 3 July from 10.30am to 11.30am. Warm up, cool down, rest, repeat — which sounds rather more controlled than most people's inbox by Friday afternoon.

On Wednesday, 1 July, Super Dogs: Super Training takes place at Shepton Mallet Prison, Frithfield Lane, BA4 5FQ, from 6pm to 8pm. Experienced dog trainer Jo Thiselwaite will demonstrate how dogs are trained to detect prison contraband, with her own dog showing the techniques in a safe and controlled environment. Tickets are £10 including an arrival drink, and a locals' 15% discount code is listed as SMPEVBB. A prison, a sniffer dog and training tips for your own pet: that is a Wednesday evening with range.

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Organisers can add events to Nub News for free through Wells Nub News, Shepton Mallet Nub News, or Glastonbury and Street Nub News. Honestly, the diary seems to be managing quite well already, but there is always room for one more thing.