In exactly one month Porthcawl will once again be all shook up over the King as it hosts the single largest gathering of Presley-a-likes in Europe. This year there will be a couple of new additions...

The weekend will see thousands dress up like The King and enjoy the featured events - the Official Shows taking place in the magnificent Grand Pavilion. These include The Elvies, the World's leading award Show for Elvis Tribute Artists. Over twenty venues in and around the town form the official Fringe Festival.

There will be a number of new additions to the festival this year. These include:

- A pop-up Elvis art gallery exhibiting works by Sara Topsham and Les Williams. The gallery will also feature the collection of Elvis Festival images from award-winning photographer Juliet Eden.

- Porthcawl's Grand Pavilion will also be screening 'The Gift' an acclaimed short film about Elvis followed by a Q&A with the producer.

- This year's International Headliner is American Victor Trevino who, earlier this month, came second in the Ultimate Elvis Competition held in Graceland.

For more information and to book tickets visit www.elvies.co.uk

Are you fed up with the same old history tours? Looking for something free AND fun this summer? Bridgend County's 'Digital Bridgend' app is revolutionising how visitors uncover South Wales's amazing history.

The app is available for download on both Android and Apple smartphones. It uses the latest augmented reality technology to offer visitors hours of videos, games, treasure hunts and much much more.

There's a total of 17 experiences across 6 locations - reaching from the golden sands of the county's beaches to the rugged valleys. All you need to do to get started is download the app at home, head to one of the locations and open the app.

You'll then have your own personal tour guide that'll have you smelting iron, hunting ghosts and tracking dinosaurs as you learn.

The app is free to download and is the perfect way to keep children entertained during the summer holidays - tapping into their love of technology while also helping them explore the great outdoors and to learn a little something along the way.

To download the app, search 'Digital Bridgend' on Google Play or the Apple App Store, or visit bridgendbites.com.

Are you currently tearing your hair out, desperate for ideas on how to keep the kids entertained until the summer holidays come to a close? Lucky for you Bridgend County is a fantastic destination for family fun, from surfing and biking to indoor play areas to tire out the little tykes. Here are some of our top picks:

Meet the Keepers
Be sure to experience the Nature Keepers Quest, an all new family-friendly adventure that will have you exploring Bridgend in search of 14 interactive keepers to discover their secrets! Each Keeper is located in an iconic area of the county and is twinned with our Dare to Discover app and will come to life via your smartphone with exciting videos and poems. Did we mention that it's free? bridgendbites.com/nature-keepers.aspx

Wiggleys Fun Farm
A friendly family run all weather fun experience for children of all ages. Come and enjoy the carvernous indoor and outdoor adventure play areas, 'Babies Barnyard', mini racetrack, farm animals and pets corner. There's also a fantastic woodland walk and plenty of ducks to feed by the pond. www.wiggleysfunfarm.co.uk

Surfing with Porthcawl Surf School
Did you know we're home to some of the best surfing beaches in the UK, with consistent year-round waves. Rest Bay Beach is the most popular spot - surfers of all ages and abilities share the waves with avid kite surfers, paddle boarders and kayakers. Trecco Bay is another popular option, making the most of the swells rolling in from the Atlantic. www.porthcawlsurf.co.uk

Fat biking the sand dunes
The Merthyr Mawr sand dunes are some of the largest in Europe and legend has it that they appear in the Oscar winning historical epic Lawrence of Arabia. Brand new bike hire company Porthcawl Bike Hire are offering guided fatbike tours out over the dunes which is a wonderful and unique way of exploring this fantastic landscape. www.porthcawlbikehire.co.uk

Adventuring with Adventures Wales
From quad biking to zip sliding, Adventures Wales' activity centre is the perfect spot for adrenaline-filled fun. Whether on land or on water, expert coaches provide safe sessions for families, groups of friends and individuals. Try surfing, white water rafting, canyoning, gorge walking or rock climbing. www.adventureswales.co.uk

Cwm Tawel Yurts
Here's your chance to bed down in your own traditional Mongolian yurt! Each of the four yurts is kitted out with double bed and wood burner, and the owners run foraging and woodwork courses. They've also just added a wood-fired hot tub! Family fun guaranteed. www.cwmtawel.org.uk

Have you recently returned from your summer holiday and now find yourself staring at a vast stretch of weeks and months of work before Christmas gets here? Lucky for you we've just updated our event calendar so you can see just how much there is to look forward to between now and 2017.

The Welsh Rockabilly Fair (16th - 18th September)
The biggest rockabilly party in Wales returns to Hide Tide In this September. Visitors can expect a fair ground, vintage market, classic car & bike show, special guest DJ's and over 30 hours of live rockin' music from bands including Johnny Flame & The Dragons, The Bus Boys, The Killer Dillers and many, many more. For more information and to buy tickets visit www.welshrockabilly.co.uk

Porthcawl Elvis Festival (23rd - 25th September)
Every September thousands of Elvis fans descend on the Welsh seaside town of Porthcawl for a unique celebration of The King. Now in its 12th year, the Elvis Festival is one of the largest of its kind in the world and invites visitors to enjoy a weekend of rock 'n' roll in the Welsh seaside town of Porthcawl.

There are a number of Elvis events taking place as part of the Festival at Porthcawl's Grand Pavilion including The Three Kings Show, The Elvies, and Red Alert, the best Elvis Showband in the world. In addition, the Hi Tide Inn in Porthcawl will host over 100 shows over the weekend, and over twenty other venues in and around the town will host events as part of the Fringe Festival. www.elvies.co.uk

Hut 9 open weekend (15th - 16th October)
Travel on a vintage bus from the car parks to the camp Take a tour of the site known as Island Farm and the last remaining prisoner of war. Free onsite lectures, guided tours of the interior of Hut 9, see period artefacts and learn about the daily life and how the great escape took place in March 1945. Book early for next years open weekends. www.hut9.org.uk
*This event is now sold out

The Big Bang Fireworks Display (5th November)
A fabulous colourful display of fireworks at the Hi Tide Inn, Porthcawl. The firework display will start at about 7pm - 7.30pm and the event is free to attend. www.hi-tide.co.uk

Jack and the Beanstalk pantomime (9th - 31st December)
It is never too early to bok your panto tickets! Get into the Christmas spirit this year with Jack and the Beanstalk. If past performances are anything to go by, this should be a true family-friendly crowd pleaser so book early to avoid disappointment! www.grandpavilion.co.uk

Of course, there will be many other events scheduled for the coming months so be sure to check back in regularly to find out what else is going on…