There's a lot to pack into this weekend's pick of the best events in the area – here's our jam-packed guide to the cream of the crop.

*FANS of a golden era of music will be at Weymouth Pavilion tonight for Sixties Gold.

The show features PJ Proby, The Searchers, The Merseybeats, The Fortunes, Love Affair's Steve Ellis and Vanity Fare. The musical magic from the decade begins at 7.30pm. Contact the box office for tickets.

*A BEHEMOTH of a show arrives at Weymouth Pavilion this weekend based upon one of the most successful musicals of all time.

The Greatest Show, featuring songs from the Greatest Showman and Hollywood movies, will be performed tomorrow afternoon and evening and Sunday afternoon and evening.

*HEAD to West Stafford Village Hall tonight for a comedy about science.

Theatre company Living Spit present Giants of Science at 8pm, which is touring on the Artsreach circuit.

The play sees clueless pair Howard Coggins and Stu Mcloughlin giving a lecture on science, and after enlisting the help of the smartest scientific sages of the ages, that's just what they aim to do.

Giants of Science also tours to Stalbridge tomorrow (Sat) at 7.30pm and Drimpton Village Hall near Beaminster on Sunday at 7.30pm. Go to artsreach.co.uk for tickets.

*FIVE gifted musicians, each of whom represents one of the five string sections of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, will perform at St Andrew's Church in Charmouth, near Bridport, tonight.

Go to artsreach.co.uk to get tickets to see the Resonate Strings.

*A MUSICAL trio born out of the Parisian Old-time and Bluegrass music scene will take their tour to rural Dorset this weekend on the Artsreach circuit.

Fierce Flowers are known for their sublime vocal harmonies combined with violin, banjo, guitar and double bass creating a veritable voyage on stage.

They will be at Powerstock Hut near Bridport tomorrow (Sat) and Tarrant Gunville Village Hall near Blandford on Sunday. See artsreach.co.uk for tickets.

*HAVE you ever fancied trying traditional cider making?

Head to the Cider Mill Museum in Owermoigne on Sunday between 10am and 4pm to see apples crushed and pressed using antique equipment - a chance for people to see traditional ways of making cider in the flesh!

There will also be steam engines, rural crafts and Alpacas, as well as Dorset Cider Tasting, BBQ, stalls, kids' activities, hot mulled cider and Dorset Apple cake on sale. Entry is £2 per adult.

*BESIDES all this weekend fun there are plenty of special events put on for the half-term holiday. Highlights include tanks rolling into action at the Tank Museum, Bovington, a spooky Halloween maize maze at the Toy Barn, Sherborne, a Halloween bat trail at Durlston Country Park at Swanage and zip wire and teddy bear fun at Corfe Castle.