The Cromer and Sheringham Crab and Lobster Festival launch 2012. Left to right, Nick Samujlik, Tony Shipp, Siri Taylor, Noel Gant, Kate Royall, John Davies and Sarah Petch pictured with one of the windbreaks which people are being asked to decorate as part of this year's art trail. PHOTO: ANTONY KELLY

People will be able to peek through colourful seaside cutout boards and follow a rainbow trail of decorated windbreaks at this years crab and lobster festival on the north Norfolk coast.

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The third annual crustacean celebration at Cromer and Sheringham will feature its usual feast of fun including food, music, crafts, games and a pier crabbing competition, which attract more than 20,000 visitors to the twin resorts.

After previous art trails showcasing decorated crabs, lobster and deckchairs this year’s will be “wacky windbreaks” costing £60 which individuals, groups and artists can use as their blank canvass.

But there will also be a handful of larger £200 cut out boards in each town for people to paint, and visitors to poke their heads through.

A new poster competition will also draw on the local creative talent, with the winner’s work being turned into official publicity, and entries closing at the end of February.

Events will be split across the two towns over the weekend of May 18-20, starting with a concert at Cromer Pier on the Friday, and action in Cromer on Saturday before it moves to Sheringham on the Sunday.

Forty activities include a cookery theatre, street entertainment, beach Olympics, a showing of the classic 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea movie, a world pier crabbing competition, and the art trails.

Festival chairman Tony Shipp said it set out three years ago to use the local seafood, for which the towns are well-known, to bring more visitors to the area. It had proved a success, attracting thousands of people over the weekend and during the trail running though the spring and summer.

Food was at the heart of the expanding event, and also new this year was a Seafood Sandwich Trail with local outlets competing for the best offering, and being judged by public votes.

Sponsorship of the event suffered a blow with the threatened closure of the Cromer Crab Company factory, which was a major supporter in the past, but another, so far unnamed, big backer had stepped in. The hunt was still on for other sponsors, and the range of events could be expanded if more support came forward, said Mr Shipp.

The festival has raised more than £16,500 so far, and three lots of £2,500 from last year have been handed to the two towns’ lifeboats and the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen. This year the festival is inviting bids from local charities for a share of the proceeds.

For more information, to offer sponsorship, grant help, to find out about the art trail windbreaks, cutouts and poster competition - or to volunteer as a helper - call 07775 337201 or visit the website www.crablobsterfestival.co.uk