A POPULAR festival is returning to the Jurassic Coast later this year bringing a life-sized dinosaur and 200 million-year-old fossils amongst many other attractions.

The Lyme Regis Fossil Festival, which draws crowds in their thousands to the area, is back in-person for the first time in three years on Saturday, April 30, and Sunday, May 1.

Now in its 14th year, the science festival will once again come to Lyme Regis to host the country’s top palaeontological and geological organisations throughout the town.

Representatives from the Natural History Museum, the Palaeontological Association, Bristol University, Jurassic Coast Trust, Dinosaur Isle, the Etches Collection, and the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre amongst others will be all be in attendance for the science festival.

Jon Doody, of Lyme Regis Fossil Festival, said: “The coast around Lyme Regis and Charmouth is one of the most famous, and significant fossil sites in the world.

“It is the richest source of fossil marine reptiles, fish, and insects anywhere in the world and is the place where the first ichthyosaur and plesiosaur were described in science thanks to Mary Anning, quite possibly the most famous fossil collector of all time.

“There will be plenty of opportunities to follow in the footsteps of Mary Anning when you join one of the many guided fossil or geological walks over the weekend.”

Over the weekend there will also be a series of‘ thought-provoking and entertaining talks and lectures’ in the Marine Theatre and the Guildhall.

People may even discover their very own fossil in the sand to take it home.

There will also be stalls selling a variety of fossils, jewellery and dinosaur gifts, as well as a vibrant street food and drinks market, as the event returns in-person following two years of online festivals as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The last time the event was held in Lyme Regis in 2019 thousands of people descended on the west Dorset coast to fine-tune their fossil knowledge and explore life as a scientist at the family-friendly event which is free to attend.

Full details of the 2022 programme of events were released on March 1 and can be found via the Fossil Festival website via www.fossilfestival.co.uk