An eight day arts event brimming with more than 70 events is set to the return to North Norfolk later this month.

The Coast Arts Festival returns with a full and varied programme of arts and literary events in more than 35 different venues from Overstrand to Sheringham and inland to villages including Felbrigg and Alby.

On the Brink will prolong the coming holiday season with a feast of visual arts, poetry, film, performance, music, sculpture, workshops, talks, happenings and all sorts of hands-on activities for children between October 22-29.

With more than 50 free events and an expanded children's programme, this year's festival offers fun for all the family across the half term week.

The highlights range from poet, writer and photographer Martin Figura to festival president and surrealism expert Robert Short, rap poetry to literary lunches and contemporary glass to a fabulous camera obscura.

Workshops are a highlight of the family programme of fun events. Children are invited to Map the Wind at West Runton beach shelter, hunt for hidden sounds with metal detectors on the beach in Lost and Sound as well as puppet making and storytelling with Tilly the Talespinner.

The festival would not be complete without a wealth of visual art exhibitions across Cromer and Sheringham, this year with a coastal theme.

From spectacular underwater photography by Rob Spray in Cromer to richly textured collages by Maddy Pikarsky in Sheringham, more than 24 exhibitions will form a major part of Coast 2011.

As part of this the festival is hosting a double-bill of exhibitions which celebrate the 90th birthday in 2011 of local artist and designer Jenny Griffin. Sheringham Little Theatre will be showing the first public show of Jenny's Theatrical Designs and Memorabilia '45-'56 and simultaneously Merchants Place in Cromer will host an exhibition of her pictures, cartoons and paintings.

A feast of drama, performance, talks, installations and literary events accompany the festival's strong musical strand which continues in 2011 with a stunning series of five concerts in Overstrand Church. This includes Bach by Candlelight, Horses Brawl and the Sounds Fantastic concert which celebrates a six week singing project by local people. At Sheringham Little Theatre the music continues with the fabulous, all singing, all dancing string quartet Bowjangles which is billed as a combination of fiery musicianship, energetic dance moves, vaudeville comedy and four part harmony singing in a dazzling stage show.

The festival closes on October 29 with another infectiously fun concert, dubbed 'the end of festival party' by The Fabulous Swinging Chandeliers at Northrepps Cottage.

The full programme of events is available across Norfolk and locally at Merchants Place, Cromer and Upcher Community Partnership in Sheringham. They will also be available at every COAST event.

Booking is now open for all ticketed events. To book in person, call in at Merchants' Place, Cromer. To book by phone call 01263 519454 or buy online at www.casaf.co.uk. Follow the Festival www.facebook.com/COASTartsfestival