If you live in the Lakes or are a frequent visitor, you’ll probably know there’s always plenty going on, with events, festivals, theatre and arts for all the family. But just in case you wanted to find out more, it’s always worthwhile checking out Lakes Culture – this useful and informative website always has a packed schedule of activities if you’re planning a weekend of fun in the Lakes.

We've put together our top five events you should make sure are in the diary this month...

Wordsworth Country – Lakes, Mountains and Waterfalls, exhibition runs until 2 January

See how culture has inspired visitors to the Lake District in the past, as well as continuing today, with this latest exhibition at the Wordsworth Museum.
The exhibition is a fascinating exploration into the ways in which Wordsworth’s words began to draw people to the landscape that inspired them and shows how the Lake District became so inextricably linked with this prominent figure. It allows you to follow in the footsteps of the early Wordsworthian pilgrims, using original guide books, maps, poems and paintings to aid your choice of route.

Environmental Photographer of the Year 2016 – until 1 January

The Atkins CIWEM Environmental Photographer of the Year 2016 returns to Grizedale Forest, in the heart of the Lake District, until 1 January 2017.
In association with Forestry Commission England, photographs will be showcased in the Grizedale Forest Visitor Centre and beneath the canopy of the forest in one of the UK’s most unique and scenic outdoor arts and exhibition spaces.
The Atkins CIWEM Environmental Photographer of the Year 2016 presents a shortlist of 60 exceptional environmental photographs from a submission of 10,000 images by photographers and filmmakers from across 70 countries.

Spinning the Colours of Lakeland – until 29 January

This exhibition at Blackwell, The Arts & Craft House, includes examples of Annie Garnett’s designs on paper and the resulting silks, embroideries and textiles. It will also explore the inspiration for the forms and colours of these in the landscape and skies of Lakeland and especially in the fascinating garden created by Annie close to the Spinnery and once described by an American journalist as ‘A colour laboratory in the English lake region’.

People on Paper, at Abbot Hall – until 17 December

Bringing some of the finest drawings in the Arts Council Collection to Abbot Hall Art Gallery in Kendal, People on Paper includes artworks by Frank Auerbach, Peter Blake, Lucian Freud, Barbara Hepworth, David Hockney, L S Lowry and Henry Moore, to name a few.
Artists have been drawing the figure for centuries, from carefully composed life drawings to people caught unawares at leisure or work. Though there are sometimes surprising similarities across the decades, there is also a great diversity of techniques and approaches.

The Emperor and the Nightingale and The Secret Life of Suitcases, at Keswick’s Theatre by the Lake – until 14 January

This winter you can treat the whole family to two outstanding family-friendly performances, The Emperor and the Nightingale (until 14 January) and The Secret Life of Suitcases (until 23 December), at Keswick’s Theatre by the Lake on the shores of Derwentwater. You can also enjoy a pre-theatre meal at Theatre by the Lake’s new Café by the Lake – a lofty, light and airy place to dine with spectacular views across the lake to Cat Bells and beyond.

So there you have it - Our top five cultural dates for your diary this month! We love to see your pictures so remember to link in with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram on your days out.