Don't miss a thing in 2012 in our annual guide

JANUARY

6-15 London Boat Show, ExCel, London

15-22 The Masters Snooker Championship, Alexandra Palace, London

17 National Hunt Racing, Folkestone

17 to May 7 Hamish Fulton: Walk exhibition, Turner Contemporary, Margate

21-22 Rock 'n’ Gem Show, Hop Farm, Paddock Wood

23 Chinese New Year (Year of the Dragon)

28 to May 13 Turner and the Elements, Turner Contemporary, Margate

31 National Hunt Racing, Folkestone

FEBRUARY

6-11 Rochester Bicentenary celebration (200th anniversary of Dickens’ birth)

7 The Dickens Bicentenary Show, Britannia Theatre,Dickens World, Chatham

12 Deal Tri Deal Half Marathon, Fowlmead Country Park, Sholden

14-15 RHS London Plant & Design Show

14 National Hunt Racing, Folkestone

21 Marlowe Young Musician of the Year, Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury

23-26 Worldfest 2012, University of Kent, Canterbury

25 Rye Bay Scallop Festival, East Sussex

29 National Hunt Racing, Folkestone

MARCH

2 Flowers: Symbolism & Folklore, Walmer Castle

3-4 Designs for the Garden, Knole, Sevenoaks

5-6 Dover Film Festival, Town Hall, Dover

10 Designs for the Garden, Knole, Sevenoaks

11 The 5th Lydd Half Marathon

13 McFly, Margate Winter Gardens

13-16 Cheltenham National Hunt Festival (National Hunt Racing)

16 Ideal Home Exhibition, Earls Court, London

17-18 My Kent Big Weekend, various venues

20 The Osmonds, Margate Winter Gardens

21 Young Musician of the Year, Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury

22 An Audience with Charles Dickens, Woodville Halls Theatre, Gravesend

25 British Summer Time starts

25 The KM Abseil, Miller House, Maidstone

31 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, Brands Hatch

APRIL

1 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, Brands Hatch

5 Flat Racing, Folkestone

5 Cricket County Championship starts

6 Good Friday

6 Reopening Sittingbourne Viaduct Station, Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway, Kemsley

6–9 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Brands Hatch

7 Kent Water Zorbing Championships, Herons Pool, Herne Bay

7 Boat Race, River Thames

8–9 Medway Festival of Steam & Transport, Historic Dockyard, Chatham

9 Easter Bank Holiday

9 Easter Vintage Fair, Powell–Cotton Museum, Quex Park, Birchington

10–15 Step into Easter, Hever Castle

12 Flat Racing, Folkestone

12–15 BBC Good Food Show, Bluewater

14 Grand National, Aintree

15 NCCPG Plant Fair, Godinton House, Ashford

20 KM Big Quiz, University of Kent, Canterbury

21 The English Festival, Riverside Country Park, Gillingham

21 World Championship Snooker, Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

22 Virgin London Marathon

24 Flat Racing, Folkestone

28-29 Country Craft and Food Fair, Hop Farm, Paddock Wood

MAY

3 Flat Racing, Folkestone

4-7 Medieval Weekend, Lullingstone Castle

5 FA Cup Final, Wembley

5-7 Sweeps Festival, Rochester

5-7 Weald of Kent Craft Show, Penshurst Place

5-27 Brighton Festival

7 May Day

12 Ocelot 50, Historic Dockyard, Chatham

12-13 The Sandwich Celebration, Guildhall, Sandwich

17 National Hunt Racing (evening), Folkestone

18-20 DTM German touring cars, Brands Hatch

18-20 Big Broadstairs Weekend

20 to June 26 Glyndebourne Festival Opera

22-26 RHS Chelsea Flower Show

25 Alfie Boe, Orchard Theatre, Dartford

26-27 Masters Historic Festival, Brands Hatch

26 to September 23 She Lay Down Deep Beneath the Sea: Tracey Emin exhibition, Turner Contemporary, Margate

30 Flat Racing (evening), Folkestone

JUNE

1 Littlestone Lifeboat 10k Promenade Dash

1 The Oaks, Epsom

1-2 Dover Tattoo 2012, Fort Burgoyne

1-4 Best of Britain Weekend, Lullingstone Castle

2 The Derby, Epsom

4 Spring Bank Holiday

4 Jubilee Beacon, Tonbridge Castle

5 The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

6 Gravesend Cyclopark 10k

8-10 Rochester Dickens Summer Festival

8-10 Le Weekend, Sandwich

8 to July 1 FIFA Euro 2012, Poland/Ukraine

10 The Hamstreet 10k, Romney Marsh

11 Flat Racing, Folkestone

14-24 Best of British Garden Festival, Hever Castle

16 Trooping the Colour, Horse Guards Parade, London

16-22 Broadstairs Dickens Festival

17-24 Delphinium Week, Godinton House, Ashford

19-23 Royal Ascot

22 Plan B, Bedgebury Pinetum, Goudhurst

23 Will Young, Bedgebury Pinetum, Goudhurst

25 to July 8 Wimbledon

27-30 Porgy and Bess, Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury

29 Flat Racing, Folkestone

29 to July 1 Hop Farm Music Festival, Paddock Wood

30 HSCC Superprix with FIA Historic F1, Brands Hatch

JULY

1 KM Dragon Boat Race, Mote Park, Maidstone

3-8 Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

6 Dover Festival Proms Concert, Town Hall, Dover

6-8 Lounge on the Farm, Merton Farm, near Canterbury

8 British Grand Prix, Silverstone

12 Flat Racing (evening), Folkestone

13 BBC Proms, Royal Albert Hall, London

13-15 Kent County Show, Detling

18 Olympic Torch Relay Overnight, Dover

18-21 Rochester Castle Concerts

18-22 War and Peace Show, Hop Farm, Paddock Wood

19 Olympic Torch Relay Overnight, Maidstone

19-21 Kent Beer Festival, Merton Farm, Canterbury

19-22 British Open Royal Lytham and St Annes

20–22 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship

21–27 Whitstable Oyster Festival

21 Sculpture in the Gardens, Godinton House, Ashford

22–26 Deal, Walmer and Kingsdown Carnival and Regatta

26 Flat Racing (evening), Folkestone

27 to August 12 London 2012 Olympics

30 Ramsgate Week

AUGUST

4 Whitstable Harbour Day

5 Margate Carnival

10-17 Broadstairs Folk Week

12 Flat Racing, Folkestone

18-26 Herne Bay Festival

23 Flat Racing, Folkestone

25-27 A Summer Squall, Royal Harbour, Ramsgate

27 Bank Holiday

27 Canterbury Half Marathon

29 to September 9 London 2012 Paralympic Games

SEPTEMBER

1 Charing 10k

1-2 Mediterranean Weekend, Hever Castle

1-16 Whitstable Biennale 2012/Satellite

2 Flat Racing, Folkestone

6-9 RHS Garden Wisley Flower Show

7-9 Weald of Kent Craft Show, Penshurst Place

8 BBC Last Night at the Proms, Royal Albert Hall, London

11-15 The Mousetrap, Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury

15-16 Salute to the 40s, Historic Dockyard, Chatham

18 Flat Racing, Folkestone

25 Flat Racing, Folkestone

28-30 Canterbury Food & Drink Festival, Dane John Gardens

28-30 Hever Castle Triathlon

OCTOBER

2 Flat Racing Folkestone

4-7 Tenterden Folk Festival

6 to January 13 Alex Katz exhibition, Turner Contemporary, Margate

5-7 Broadstairs Food Festival

7 Kent Foundation Heritage Bike Ride, Penshurst Place

9-10 RHS London Autumn Flower Show

12-14 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Brands Hatch

13-27 Canterbury Festival

20-21 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, Brands Hatch

28 British Summer Time ends

28 Pumpkin Day, Godinton House, Ashford

NOVEMBER

4 RAC London/Brighton Veteran Car Run

4 Downland Cycles Big Kent Sportives, Downland Cycles, Canterbury

19 Peter Andre, Winter Gardens, Margate

20 National Hunt Racing Folkestone

30 Christmas Arts Fair, Godinton House, Ashford

30 to January 20 Sleeping Beauty, Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury

DECEMBER

1-2 Rochester Dickensian Christmas Festival

1-2 Santa Specials (Weekends to Christmas), Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway

1-24 Christmas at the Castle, Hever Castle

2 Christmas Arts Fair ends, Godinton House, Ashford

4 National Hunt Racing, Folkestone

8-30 Aladdin, Orchard Theatre, Dartford

18 National Hunt Racing, Folkestone