LAKESIDE Shopping Centre is bringing a new festival to its waterfront this weekend, featuring dragon boat racing, emergency-service showcases, live entertainment and family activities.

The Heroes & Dragons Festival takes place on Sunday (13 September) and runs from 10am to 4pm. It will transform the lake and quay at Lakeside into two action-packed event zones, giving families plenty to discover throughout the day.

The Dragon Zone will see teams take to Lakeside's iconic 20-acre lake for a series of exhilarating dragon boat races, with visitors invited to line the water's edge and cheer them on.

Meanwhile, the Heroes Zone on the quay will celebrate the real-life heroes who help keep the local community safe.

Visitors can enjoy emergency-service showcases featuring the fire service, police, paramedics and the RNLI, alongside a special meet-and-greet with Fireman Sam. The zone will also feature live DJs, bongo players and Taiko drummers, plus hands-on family activities including an arts workshop, face painting and a live community poetry commission.

Younger visitors can collect Lakeside's 'Power-Up Passport' from the face-painting area before visiting the locations featured inside and collecting star stamps along the way. Once complete, they can return to Mission Control to enter an exclusive giveaway competition. The trail will encourage families to explore the festival, discover activities across the waterfront and get involved throughout the day.

The festival will support local heroes, Thurrock Young Carers, Lakeside Shopping Centre's Charity Partner of the Year, raising vital funds to support young carers across the local community.

Nancy Foster, Centre Director at Lakeside Shopping Centre, said: "We're incredibly excited to bring Heroes & Dragons to Lakeside for the first time this September.

"The sight of dragon boats racing across our iconic lake will be fantastic and combining that energy with the opportunity to meet the real-life heroes who serve our community will make this a genuinely memorable day for families.

After such a brilliant summer, we wanted to keep the excitement going with an experience that brings people together and makes the most of our unique waterfront. From racing and live entertainment to hands-on activities and the chance to support Thurrock Young Carers, there will be so much to see and do. We can't wait to welcome everyone."