The venue may be kilometres from the ocean, but all the fun of the coast is on show at the Beached in Bungendore art installation.

The Bungendore Wood Works Gallery will today be converted into a beach, complete with sand, surfboards, barbecue, board shorts, Hawaiian shirts and surf music.

Highlights of the day include a historic surfboard display, beach made of sand from Stockton, near Newcastle, dance demonstrations and lessons on how to do the surfers stomp, the twist and the limbo.

It will be a nostalgic day for gallery exhibitions co-ordinator Stan d'Argeavel. Mr d'Argeavel joined the surf culture as an youngster in Newcastle in 1959 and has amassed a large collection of surfboards over the past five decades - 16 of which will be on display today.

He said Beached in Bungendore would mix his passions of surfing, music and photography.

''It's good to pull the boards out of the shed and people have learned a bit about the development of surfing history,'' Mr d'Argeavel said.

Mr d'Argeavel said Beached in Bungendore coincided with the Bungendore markets and monthly Canberra to Bungendore steam train.

He said visitors were welcome to play in the sand, dig with buckets and spades, and take a splash in the mini-ocean. Hungry beachgoers can enjoy coastal fare of hot dogs, fizzy drinks and ice creams, catered by the 1st Bungendore Scout Group.

''We're doing something out of the ordinary and it's a chance to use the area outside the gallery,'' Mr d'Argeavel said.

''There'll be plenty of people around so hopefully they'll come down and have some fun.''

The event is part of The Summerside Festival - an event that aims to celebrate everything good about summer in the Canberra region.

Beached in Bungendore runs from 10am to 3pm. MICHAEL INMAN