We are approaching spring and hopes rise for the start of the weather improving, there is plenty of events and activities to entertain across North Yorkshire.

If you are looking to get out and about over the next few weeks, here is a guide to what’s on across the county.

We cannot include every event here, so be sure to keep a look out for local events where you live.

If you are organising a major event in North Yorkshire, please tell us and we’ll do our best to include it in a future issue, and email yny@northyorks.gov.uk. 

Thursday 29 February

Learn all about digital camera techniques and photography composition to get the best out of your camera in a workshop at The Courthouse, 4 Westgate, Thirsk. Photograph everyday moments to capture the beauty of evolving stories of ordinary family life. The event runs from 11am to 3.30pm. Suitable for beginners and those with some experience, the workshop costs £50.

From Whitby to Peru: The natural history and evolution of whales is the title of a talk by fossil expert Rebecca Bennion. Rebecca, who hails from Whitby, will talk about the evolution of whales, the whaling industry and the current state of whale populations during the event at Snainton Village Hall, Wydale Rise, Snainton, Scarborough, North Yorkshire YO13 9AG. The event runs from 7pm to 9pm and tickets cost £4.

Saturday 2 March

Fancy a wine tasting with a difference? Then Whose Wine Is It Anyway might be for you. Taking place at Howsham Hall, Malton, North Yorkshire YO60 7PB, six wines are poured blind and three wine bluffers will each try to convince guests they know what the wine is. The event runs from 6.30pm to 10pm and tickets, costing £49, include a welcome drink, all wines, water and sharing platters.

Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 March

A Living History Tudor Weekend is being held at Bolton Castle, near Leyburn. Tudor England was a time of great change. Come and join ‘living historians’ and find out how life would have differed between 1485, the beginning of the reign of King Henry V11, and 1603 with the death of Henry’s granddaughter, the last Tudor monarch, Elizabeth I. The event is included as part of usual admission charges and runs from 10am to 5pm each day.

Sunday 3 March

The recently formed Richmond Chamber Orchestra will be performing a concert at the Georgian Theatre in Richmond at 2.30pm on March 3. Consisting of some of the best professional, semi-pro and amateur musicians in the area, the 18-strong ensemble is presenting a sparkling and varied inaugural concert.  Distinguished violinist Philippa Mo will direct following tours of China and Brazil and past Swaledale Festival concerts, while soloist Morvern Scrivener lives in Richmond and was a prize-winner in the Scottish International Youth Piano Competition. Tickets, priced £15 or £8 for under-18s, are available via the orchestra’s website or the Georgian Theatre Box Office on 01784 825282.

Mix art and history with free, family-friendly workshops. Skipton Civic Society invites families and young adults to explore the town’s hidden treasures through hands-on art sessions with Ailsa Lewer and Carine Brosse. Join in with fun, creative activities based on the newly created heritage trail on the ‘What Was Here?’ app, funded by Historic England’s High Streets Heritage Action Zone. Drop into Craven Arts House from 2pm to 4pm on 3, 10, and 17 March and delve into the stories behind Skipton’s iconic landmarks.

Come along to The Forum in Northallerton and enjoy the fabulous sounds of the Big Band Era performed, in an open session, by Alan Owens and The Forum Big Band. It's just £4 to get in and the bar is open. The event runs between 12pm and 2pm.

Tuesday 5 March

Thirsk Ladies Cycle Group are inviting people to join them on the first Tuesday of each month, cycling the lanes around Thirsk and surrounding villages with a social coffee stop en-route. The ride starts at 10am from outside the Thirsk and Sowerby Leisure Centre YO7 1LU. All you need is a bike and money for a coffee stop. Phone 07531 093357 or 01845 522942 for more information or email glenbank.2@gmail.com.

Bedale Archaeology and History Society will host a talk entitled The Richmond to Lancaster Turnpike 1751 by Hilary Jones of The Milestone Society. The talk, at Bedale Hall, starts at 7.30pm with non-members paying £3. If you are in full-time education, entry is free. You can also pay £12 for the talk and receive membership for the whole of 2024. You can pay on the door or email bahsoc@outlook.com for details. The talk will also be made available online via Zoom.

Thursday 7 March

A Spring Quiet Garden Day is being held at Holy Rood House, Centre for Health and Pastoral Care, 10 Sowerby Road, Thirsk. YO7 1HX. Chaplain Helen Warwick and Mike, the residential gardener, will be accompanying guests for a creative, reflective and relaxing day. The large garden offers a quiet, gentle, healing space which includes a labyrinth, orchard, goats and a walled garden with a pond. Indoor spaces include a chapel that is centred in the garden and an art room. The event runs from 10am to 4pm. For details, contact 01845 522580 or email enquiries@holyroodhouse.org.uk.

Saturday 9 March

A family friendly day celebrating the Sights and Sounds of Ripon takes place across three venues from 11am to 2pm. The event encompasses Ripon Cathedral, library and museums and is a celebration of charities and local services. Discover volunteering opportunities and access advice and support. There will be music, stalls, a pop-up café, dancing and much more. For more information, contact engagement@northyorks.gov.uk.

Every second Saturday of the month, the Malton Monthly Food Market returns with specialist food stalls, street food, music and bags of foodie fun. The market runs from 9am to 3pm.

The Urban Folk Quartet play Reeth Memorial Hall tonight. Rooted in Celtic tune forms and traditional song, they also take influences from a wide range of musical genres including Afrobeat, Indian classical, funk and rock. Touring with their newly released and much-anticipated seventh album, expect a groove-filled set of acoustic music, presented with infectious energy and humour. Doors open 7.30pm for an 8pm start. Tickets are £17 in advance, £19 on the door, and admission for under-16s is half price.

The Sound of Musicals comes to Boroughbridge, courtesy of the Harrogate Theatre Choir. Running from 7.30pm to 9.30pm, at Boroughbridge Methodist Church, the audience will be taken on a stroll through the feel-good musicals of the 1940s and 50s, often known as the Golden Age Musicals and hear favourites from Oklahoma, The King and I, The Sound of Music, South Pacific and Carousel.

Monday 11 to Friday 15 March

Attend a workshop and enhance your maths and business skills. If you have ever considered starting your own small business or dreamed of being self-employed, you may well have struggled with knowing the first step to take. Multiply North Yorkshire, the government-funded maths initiative aimed at helping to brush up adults’ maths skills, has teamed up with Rebel Business School to deliver a comprehensive five-day course from 11 to 15 March, from 10am to 3pm at York Sports Club. Free to all who attend, the workshop will cover marketing, selling, finding customers, building a website, becoming legally-savvy and much more. There are limited places available.

Tuesday 12 March

Join a Legacy Discovery Session with Antique Roadshow's Paul Hollis and discover the potential within your unworn jewellery collection. If you have old or inherited jewellery that you never wear you can find out more about your existing pieces and the potential that they hold. The event runs from 11am to 2pm at Windsor House, Cornwall Road, Harrogate HG3 2SD.

Saturday 16 March

A free guided walk, organised by the North York Moors National Park, will take in the Hole of Horcum and Levisham Circular. Beginning at Saltergate car park, the walk is eight miles long. Booking via the North York Moors National Park’s website is essential.

Saints Michael’s Twilight Walk is a magical celebration of light, life and love to welcome the springtime and leave the winter behind. Put on your pyjamas and come together with friends and family for a sponsored trail like no other. The four-mile route, organised by St Michael’s Hospice, twinkles and sparkles, with views of historic Knaresborough as the sun goes down. Whether you choose to walk in tribute to someone special, or just for fun, you’ll be making a big difference to families living with terminal illness and bereavement. The events runs from 5.30pm to 8pm and sets off from King James’ School, Knaresborough HG5 8EB. It costs £10 per adults, £5 for children with under 5s go free.

Ceilidh dances are held at the WI Hall in Great Ayton once, every other month, between 7.30pm and 9.30pm. A retiring collection, with a suggested amount of £5 per person, replaces tickets, and snack foods are pooled at the interval. Hot drinks are provided but people are welcome to bring their own drinks. There is an experienced caller and a small band. Contact brian.pearce11@btinternet.com for more information.

Friday 8 to Sunday 17 March 

Visit North Yorkshire’s libraries and celebrate British Science Week by joining in the celebrations. The week will offer different opportunities to engage with coding in a fun and interactive way and will showcase some of the different pieces of digital kit you can use at, or borrow from, your library. Coordinated by the British Science Association and funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the idea behind the programme is to raise awareness, spark enthusiasm and celebrate science, engineering, technology and maths (STEM), with people of all ages and from all walks of life.

Monday 18 to Sunday 24 March

Join the Local Lotto for a sustainable community celebration during Village Halls Week! Village Halls Week will return this year from Monday 18 to Sunday 24 March, celebrating the contribution of more than 10,000 village and community halls to England's rural communities. The Local Lotto isn't just about winning exciting prizes. It's about supporting local causes that bring our communities together – like Pateley Bridge and Bewerley Memorial Hall and Hampsthwaite Memorial Hall, two of the village halls that are raising funds through The Local Lotto. Village Halls Week is organised by ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England), a champion of rural communities nationwide. This year's green theme reflects an urgent need for sustainable practices, inspiring village halls to become more energy-efficient and minimise their environmental impact.