This week's new events

The Great Knaresborough Bed Race , Knaresborough Being carried around on pillows for an afternoon might sound dreamy, but the Knaresborough Bed Race ain't no duvet day. Ninety teams, each consisting of six runners and one passenger, must haul their wheeled mattresses 3km up hills and across water. Decorated divans are optional – there's a prize for the best-dressed bed – but floats and protective headgear are compulsory. When they're not flailing down the River Nidd watched by thousands of spectators – now we're talking nightmares – entrants will show off costumes in this year's theme, which is British history. So expect to see several bedridden Edward VIs and the odd Francis Fox Tuckett – 19th century pioneer, don't you know, of the sleeping bag. Conyngham Hall, 11 Jun Colette Bernhardt Fuse Medway Festival , Chatham, Gillingham & Rochester Kicking off the weekend with an illuminated parade along Gillingham High Street, this live arts festival seeks to highlight the creative talents of those who live in and around Kent's Medway towns. Saturday sees Chatham's High Street take its turn, as it becomes a linear venue for unusual happenings, jesters, jugglers, B-boys and comedy. Rochester Castle's moat carries the baton in the evening, with pyrotechnics and light sculptures, while the fun carries on in the Castle Gardens the next day. Finally, the family-friendly Sunday has storytelling puppets, gardening for youngsters and a modern take on Punch & Judy. Various venues, Kent, Fri to 19 Jun Iain Aitch Eat! NewcastleGateshead , Newcastle upon Tyne & Gateshead Food festivals are flourishing, but many mirror the malady of the facsimile music festival, with bland corporate partners and in-your-face branding (witness: BBC GoodFood Show Summer, NEC, Birmingham, Wed to 19 Jun). Eschewing TV chefs, however, Eat! is much fresher, with offbeat approaches such as foraging expeditions, a chilli and beer festival, and Cakebook – recreating buildings and landscapes in cake form. Look out in particular for Eat-a-long film screenings, where dishes are served live as they appear in Mexican flick Like Water For Chocolate and the Meryl Streep-starring Julie And Julia. Various venues, Fri to 26 Jun Stuart Goodwin Out & about World Naked Bike Ride UK , Cardiff, Edinburgh, Exeter & London, Sat Imaginative protest "against oil dependency and car culture". Starkers. Various venues Man Vs Horse Marathon , Llanwrtyd Wells, Sat Man takes on steed in gorgeous Welsh scenery. Begins Town Square Taste Of London , London, Thu to 19 Jun With food from top chefs including Michel Roux Jr. Regent's Park, NW1 Borders Book Festival , Melrose, Thu to 19 Jun Literary events with Kirsty Wark, Tom Conti and more. Harmony Garden International Sea Shanty Festival , Falmouth, Fri to 19 Jun Including maritime music on a replica of a 15th-century merchant sailing ship. Various venues GO.GO Festival , Ashford, Fri to 20 Jun Women's music weekender, headlined by Freemasons, Uh Huh Her and Betty. Headcorn Aerodrome Whitehaven Festival , Fri to 19 Jun Tall ships, air displays, and – er – T'Pau. Get in! Various venues