Shotton Community Festival takes place at Shotton Community Park today.

There will be a parachute jump, parade, fancy dress competitions and jazz band display. There is entertainment throughout the day for children with balloon modelling, a clown, magician and puppet shows. A fashion show featuring Asda's George range will be held between 11.15am and noon, followed by local singers, Irish dancing and presentations.

WORLD MUSIC: A colourful blend of sounds will feature in an east Durham concert on Sunday, July 6. The Real Macaws, who mix Caribbean, African and Latin styles, will perform at The Glebe Centre, Murton, as part of Durham Brass Festival. The group will lead improvisation workshops next weekend featuring Murton Colliery Band and young brass players. Youngsters will also perform at the concert. Tickets, £4 and £2 for concessions, are available on 0191-520 8650.

LOCAL LANDSCAPES: Artist and former miner Tom Lamb will stage an exhibition of paintings at Newton Hall Library, Durham from Monday until July 26, featuring local landscapes. Mr Lamb, who was born at Beamish and lives at Newton Hall, is well known for his pictures of mining subjects.

MAKING TRACKS: Veteran war reporter Kate Adie OBE will launch Beamish Museum's newest attraction, a painstakingly restored Sunderland 16 tramcar. On Wednesday, Miss Adie, who was born in Sunderland, will sit at the steering wheel of the tram as it travels round the museum's town. The vehicle was built in 1900 but, when the tram system closed in Sunderland in 1954, it was used as a football changing room and later a tool shed and apple store on a Northumberland farm.

FUN DAY: Families in Horden, east Durham, with children or babies aged under four are invited to take part in a fun day at Horden Welfare Hall today. The event has been organised by Horden and Easington Colliery Sure Start team to celebrate the achievements of the Government's scheme to improve services for families with pre-school children. It will run from 1pm to 3pm and there will be a range of activities and entertainment for young children.

ROWING REGATTA: Today Durham Amateur Rowing Club is holding an All-comers' Regatta on the River Wear, with teams from organisations including the NSPCC and Sandhills Leisure Club competing. There be a barbecue, mini disco and tug-of-war.

CULTURE TRIP: Musicians at Sunderland High School took part in a sponsored silence to raise money for a trip to Salzburg, Austria. They will visit the birthplace of Mozart in the first week of the summer holidays, attend concerts and perform. Anyone who can help them raise cash can contact the school office on 0191-5674984.