What’s on in May 2024
As we head towards summer, there is so much to do across North Yorkshire, whether that is on our fabulous coast, the Dales and Moors or in our beautiful towns.
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 can’t include everything 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. Just email yny@northyorks.gov.uk.
10 to 12 May
Glampfest takes place at Scotton, near Knaresborough. A family festival with camping, live bands and entertainment all weekend. Day tickets are available too.
Attractions include trade stands, street food, beer and cocktail bar, family fun and games, two stages of live music and children's workshops. There is also a forest school, silent disco, kids disco, circus skills and craft workshops and a wellness tent.
More details are on the Glampfest website.
18 May
With the support of Richmond School, The Twiddling Thumbs band and local sponsors, a fundraising Ceilidh is being held in the sixth form hall at Richmond School on May 18. The tickets are £12.50 available on Ticketsource or at the door. The time is 7.30pm to 10.30pm and a bar will be provided. All proceeds to go to Homestart, Richmondshire, for the benefit of the users of the service.
18 and 19 May
Taking place on Saturday and Sunday, the Whitby Fish and Ships Festival is back for 2024 promising a lively celebration of Whitby’s rich fishing heritage.
See live cookery demonstrations from top local chefs and fish craft demonstrations alongside incredible live music from local bands and sea balladeers. There will be plenty of family activities and entertainment, local exhibitors and much more.
The festival is centered around Dock End and Endeavour Wharf, while there is music at Whitby Bandstand on Pier Road.
The annual Yorkshire Country and Game Fair takes place at Scampston Hall, Malton YO17 8NG this weekend from 9am to 5pm.
Experience all that the countryside has to offer, from a vast array of country sports with loads of ‘have-a-go’ opportunities, to fine foods and animals.
For ticket information and booking visit the Outdoorshows website.
19 May
A guided nature journaling workshop is being held in a stunning woodland setting by Wild Creatives. Perfect for beginners, it is taking place at Raincliffe Woods, Scarborough, North Yorkshire YO12 5TD. Nature journaling is a time-honoured practice that combines art, science, and personal reflection. It's a way to connect with nature on a deeper level, enhancing your observation skills while expressing your creativity. The workshop is perfect if you would like to deepen your understanding and connection to nature. Priced from £20, for more details visit the event website.
21 May
YMCA Yorkshire Coast presents a Celebration of YMCA at YMCA Theatre, St Thomas Street, Scarborough from 7pm. Celebrating the very best of youth talent and achievement, the Celebration of YMCA showcases the work that YMCA Yorkshire Coast does across the year. Pay what you feel.
22 May
A coffee morning organised by Thirsk Yarnbombers in aid of Herriot Hospice will be held at Thirsk and Sowerby Town Hall, Westgate, Thirsk YO7 1QR. It runs from 10am until noon.
23 May
A chance to encounter vice and virtue across North Yorkshire is on offer to those who take up a rare opportunity at the County Record Office next month.
The annual Archives at Dusk event is a fascinating free invitation to delve into the past and discover some little-known facts from the county’s past.
Expert staff will explore expressions of faith through a variety of Anglican, Methodist and Quaker records and look at acts of murder and wrongdoing from long ago through the North Riding Quarter Sessions, coroners, police and workhouse archives.
There will also be a number of special guests at the event which takes place between 6.30pm and 8pm at the North Yorkshire County Record Office, Malpas Road, Northallerton DL7 8TB. Entry is free and there is no need to book. Free parking is available on site and nearby.
24 to 26 May
Everything Electric powered by Fully Charged is coming back to the Yorkshire Event Centre, Harrogate for the second time.
Experience a fun-filled, knowledge-packed, festival of electrification with thousands of EV test drives, over 50 live panel discussions, live cookery demos, test ride e-bikes, scooters and skateboards. You can also find out about the latest concept EVs coming to market, commercials vehicles and the latest home energy technologies. For more information and tickets visit the Everything Electric website.
25 May
Richmond Bowls Club is holding a Big Bowls Bash. This is your chance to come along and try your hand at outdoor bowling on their prizewinning green. Bowls and shoes available along with instructions. Learn how to keep fit and make friends over a cup of tea. The event takes place between 10am and 4pm at the club in Ronaldshay Park. For more details, call 07776 300868 or email jennifercapewell@icloud.com.
Easingwold Summer of Music gets underway with the popular York-based singer-songwriter, Simon Snaize, returning with his own very popular and soulful style of pop and rock classics. Taking place in Easingwold town centre, the event is free and runs from 1pm to 3pm.
25 and 26 May
Hambleton District Show is being held at Sutton Park, Sutton-on-the-Forest, York YO61 1DP. The largest horse show in the North of England, it was established more than 25 years ago at The Barugh, Carlton Husthwaite. It has now grown to a show with more than 200 classes with qualifiers for shows such as Royal International Horse Show and the Horse of the Year Show.
25 to 27 May
Set across the streets of Yorkshire’s Food Capital, Malton Food Lovers Festival is a celebration of Yorkshire's finest produce and cooking. Expect artisan stalls, delicious street food, talks, tastings, celebrity chefs, demos, festival bar, live music and much more.
25 May to 8 June
Swaledale Festival returns with a broad selection of the finest musicians and artists from Yorkshire, elsewhere in the country and around the world. There will be a large number of hands-on events such as workshops, walks and craft demonstrations, with a focus on participation, landscape and climate change. For more details, call 01748 880018 or email enquiries@swalefest.org
25 May 25 to 2 June
Get ready for a right royal knees-up at Scarborough Castle’s Kids Rule events this May half-term. Visit the historic site for hands-on activities and fresh-air family fun. The event runs between 10am and 5pm. For ticket details, visit the Scarborough Castle website.
26 May
A reptile experience with Lilly's Reptile and Rescue takes place at the Scarborough Flyer, 4, St Nicholas Street, Scarborough, North Yorkshire YO11 2HF. It costs £2 per person with all money raised going back to Dave and Lilly to the centre. Children should be aged five and over. Come and meet the reptiles and even have a photo with them.
27 May
York’s No1 Busker, That Guy Si, will be taking part in Easingwold’s Summer of Music from 1pm to 3pm in the town’s Marketplace. Expect upbeat rock, pop and soul classics.
31 May
Snake Davis and Gareth Moulton team up for an evening of mellow music infused with pop, rock, jazz and soul at The Georgian Theatre Royal. The pair reckon it is the ideal venue for them and will enjoy performing in such an intimate space. Tickets cost £18 and are available from the Box Office on 01748 825252 or online at the Georgian Theatre Royal website.
Until 1 June
Skipton Camerata presents Soundscapes, an immersive audio-video installation created by projection artist Michaela French and composer Ben Crick showcasing the diverse scenery of the Yorkshire Dales. Projected inside a purpose-built hemispherical dome at Skipton Town Hall, Soundscapes combines 360-degree videography with a symphonic soundtrack inspired by the landscape.
The story behind the music-and-nature installation, the design and construction of the dome, and the health and wellbeing reasons that motivated the project are told in the enclosing exhibition.
Soundscapes is funded by Arts Council England, Skipton Building Society, the Tarn Moor Estate and Northumbria University.
The gallery is open Monday to Saturday from 9.30am to 4.30pm. Entry is free.
1 June
Rusty Pegs, the well-known York band known for their country, pop, rock and folk covers will be performing in Easingwold’s Marketplace as part of the Summer of Music. Expect tunes from Dire Straits to Dolly Parton and everything in between. The event is free and runs from 1pm to 3pm.
Hovingham Village Market is a thriving, entirely volunteer run artisan market that champions local independent makers and producers in the Howardian Hills National Landscape.
Held on the first Saturday of every month, except January, between 10.30am and 1.30pm and inside and around Hovingham Village Hall, the market attracts 40-plus friendly stallholders. Visitors can stock up on and treat themselves to food, drink, home and giftware, craftwork and artwork, jewellery, plants and flowers, and much more.
For more details, follow The Hovingham Village Market on Facebook and Hovingham Village Market Instagram, and visit Hovingham Market website.
2 June
Easingwold Friends of Cancer Research are holding a plant sale from 10am to 2pm. Visit Easingwold Market Place where there will be a display of plants, crafts, knits and second-hand books to help raise money for Cancer Research UK.
Rock legends Status Quo are heading back to the Yorkshire coast for a headline show at Scarborough Open Air Theatre. The show will be the fourth time that singer Francis Rossi and the band have headlined the UK’s largest purpose-built open air concert arena. More details on the Scarborough Open Air Theatre website.
The Fun Dog Show is taking place at Thirsk Auction Mart on Blakey Lane, Thirsk YO7 3AB. Yorkshire vet Peter Wright is judging the show which features 11 classes. There is a goody bag for all entrants as well as rosettes to fifth place and lots of prizes. There will also be a raffle, tombola and cafe. The event is aid of Herriot Hospice. All dogs welcome. Registration is from 9.30 am with judging from 11am. The admission cost is £2 per class, £5 for three classes.
5 June
Join Vanessa Cook for a garden walk when she will show you the highlights of the garden in June. This will be an informal tour with the garden owner, who will provide you with plenty of tips on the best plants to grow to give you beautiful borders throughout the year. The event is located at Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens, Stewart Lane, Stillingfleet, York. Prices are £7.50 per adult and £2.50 for children. The walk starts at 2pm and will last about an hour. Places are limited.
6 June
Skipton will be honouring the 80th Anniversary of D-Day. There will be a Beacon Lighting in the Holy Trinity churchyard, as well as a service of remembrance.
There will be a coffee morning at Wetherby Town Hall, Market Place, Wetherby LS22 6NE hosted by the Royal British Legion to mark D-Day. The event will run between 10m and 2.30pm.
8 June
The Great Knaresborough Bed Race combines a gruelling athletic contest with a spectacular fancy dress parade of decorated beds and runners. It has been held annually on the second Saturday in June since 1966.
Set in the scenic and hilly terrain of Knaresborough, the bed race is held over a 2.4-mile course, through leafy parkland, up and down vertiginous climbs and a descent, through the Nidd Gorge, across cobbled streets and culminating in a swim through the waters of the River Nidd.
The Little Bird Artisan Market takes place in Easingwold town centre between 9am and 2pm. It offers a diverse and quality shopping experience that celebrates independent producers and makers. The ideal market to come to should you wish to shop small and support local whilst soaking up the sense of community that is experienced on the day.
8 and 9 June
The UK’s largest tractor festival returns to Newby Hall and Gardens near Ripon. Visit Tractorfest and see more than 1,000 vintage and modern tractors and 600 stationary engines, commercial vehicles, cars, trucks and motorcycles. Visit the Newby Hall and Gardens website for ticket details.
The Filey Food Festival is based within the Evron Centre gardens and the beautiful Crescent Gardens offering superb sea views of Filey Bay. The free festival is home to more than 70 stalls showcasing the very best of Yorkshire foods as well as fantastic produce from outside the region offering choice, quality and great value.
9 June
D-Day will be remembered at Leyburn Methodist Church Hall, DL85BB, from 2.30pm. There will be a wartime singalong with Rebekah Austin and words of remembrance from Donovan Leeman. Tickets, priced £15, are available from wensleydale.org, Judith Clark on 07882 331421 or Colin Bailey 07711 211169. Proceeds are in aid of Blueboxt Creative and Performing Arts.
15 June to 4 August
Scarborough Art is an exciting combination of exhibitions and workshops taking place at various venues across Scarborough and beyond.
Part of the Scarborough Fair Festival, it is an opportunity for people to visit various different places and spaces around Scarborough to discover great creations and performances from across the creative community.
15 and 16 June
Witness life as it may have been in Skipton during the 14th century at Skipton Castle’s Tournee event. Re-enactments will take place between 10am and 5pm each day. Normal admission prices apply.
16 June
For the energised out there, the Richmond Aquathlon and Sprint Triathlon are bound to appeal. The Sprint Triathlon is great for both novice and experienced triathletes, with a 400-metre pool swim, a scenic – and undulating – 24-kilometre bike ride, finishing with a four-kilometre run alongside the River Swale. For further information, and to book your place on either event, visit Richmond Triathlon Club.
Easingwold Town Band will be performing both traditional and modern songs as part of the Easingwold Summer of Music festival. The free event runs from 1pm to 3pm in the town’s Marketplace.
Find out more
To find out about more events and activities around the county, go to the Visit North Yorkshire website.