TWO weeks of entertainment to suit every taste got under way in the Waterside with a dramatic lion dance.

The eye-catching street theatre marked the beginning of Waterside Arts Festival, which runs until Saturday, July 12.

The Marchwood Chinese Lion Dancers wowed the crowd in the heart of Hythe, to the typically Chinese sound of drums and cymbals.

The official opening was performed by Meridian TV newsreader Kerry Swain, followed by displays from the Totton Boys & Girls Brigade Marching Band.

Other events on the Waterside Arts calendar include:

A barn dance with Squeeze and Wheeze at The Old Mill, Holbury at 8pm tonight.

The Cavalier Jazzmen at the Pilgrim Inn, Marchwood at 8pm tomorrow.

Poems & Pints at Hobbits Restaurant & Bar, 8pm on Wednesday.

New Forest Brass Band and Waterside Musical Society concert at Hythe Parish Hall, 7.30pm on Thursday, with painting and art on display at the garden of The Grove, Hythe, accompanied by a string quartet, 7.30pm.

Sounds Easy Ladies' Choir, St John's Church, Hythe, 8pm; Judith, singer, The Lord Nelson pub, Hythe, 8pm, on Friday.

Heritage Treasure Hunt, Hythe Pier, 10am; Craft fair, Hythe Community Centre, 11am-4pm; Hampshire Youth Jazz Orchestra, CTC, Dibden Manor, Southampton Rd, Dibden, 7.30pm, on Saturday.