The sun shone during the day and the tribute acts sparkled at night, as Ripon staged its second weekend of large-scale entertainment since the easing of lockdown.
By dawn yesterday, the city centre was swept, tidy and ready for dozens of stallholders at the Little Bird Artisan Market.
With its locally-made goods, the market remained open until 3pm, sharing the square with two fairground rides and a climbing wall.
The market opened prompt at 10am.
The entertainment, paid for from Ripon’s parish precept, aimed to support the city’s retailers, cafes, restaurants, pubs and heritage attractions, by driving additional footfall.
Saturday night’s crowd was larger than the one attracted by the Yorkshire Day Weekend tribute acts at the start of the month.
ABBA Forever, performing songs made famous by the Swedish supergroup, brought the curtain down on the musical entertainment, which also featured the Big Boyband Reunion whose repertoire ranged from The Backstreet Boys to Take That.
In between acts, in the shadow of the obelisk, Allison Clark from Ripon’s own ‘fab four’ team of hornblowers, performed the city’s ancient ceremony of setting the watch.
A spin beside the obelisk
Many of the children allowed to stay up late and join family groups on Market Square had, earlier on Saturday, ridden the Thomas the Tank Engine train, climbed the wall or enjoyed the uplifting experience of the Mini Paratrooper ride.
For three-year-old Scarlet, pictured above, with her grandmother Catherine, the train was the ride of choice, while a long line of older children, queued for their attempt at scaling the wall.
Today, the city’s Bank Holiday of free entertainment continues at Ripon Racecourse, which is holding its last family fun day of the season.
Gates open at 11.15, with complimentary entry for accompanied children to the course enclosure.
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The activities include a performance by the National Festival Circus, a Punch ‘n’ Judy magic show, barrel train ride, cub karts, an inflatable assault course with giant slide, balloon modelling, face painting and sand and slime modelling.
Action on the track includes Ripon’s only listed race of the season — the EBF-sponsored Champion Two-Year-Old Trophy.
Ripon to host another weekend of free family entertainment
As the school summer holidays draw to a close, families can look forward to another free weekend of entertainment on Ripon Market Square.
The August Bank Holiday weekend, will see the return of fairground rounds for young children and a climbing wall for those a little older.
The event-staged by Ripon City Council on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 August, follows the Yorkshire Day weekend, that brought hundreds of people to the city centre.
The fairground rides and the climbing wall will be in place from 2pm until 8pm on the Saturday and 10am until 4pm on the Sunday.
All the fun of the fairground – for free
Following the same pattern as the Yorkshire Day Weekend, there will be musical entertainment from 7pm on Bank Holiday Saturday.
This will feature three tribute acts, singing a selection of chart-topping hits from the best-known boy bands, Paloma Faith and ABBA.
On Bank Holiday Sunday, in addition to the fairground rides, Market Square will host another Little Bird Artisan Market.
Open from 10am until 3pm, it will again include stalls selling goods ranging from food to home furnishings, produced by local and Yorkshire-based traders.
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In addition, to activities in the city centre, two temporary toilets have been installed by the city council for families visiting the Borrage Green Lane paddling pool.
These will remain in place until the end of the summer holidays.
Ripon’s fairground attractions bring out families for Yorkshire day
Ripon’s first major event since covid restrictions eased on July 19 was welcomed by bright sunshine this afternoon.
From the opening of the Yorkshire Day Weekend at 2pm, there were queues of excited boys and girls waiting for their go on the roundabouts and climbing wall.
Two free fairground rides for young children, provided courtesy of the city council, proved a magnet to attract families onto Market Square.
Children had to wear harnesses and safety helmets to go on the climbing wall
The climbing wall for older children, was also free of charge, giving an opportunity for budding Chris Boningtons to try out mountaineering skills.
The rides and wall were attended by stewards to keep the children and other visitors safe.
Nikita, with daughters Lexie (centre) and Octavia, after the children enjoyed a spin on one of the fairground rides.
The free rides and climbing wall will be open until 8pm today and again tomorrow between 10am and 4pm, when there will also be an artisan market on Market Square.
Sadie and her children Lewis (centre) and Jack (right) with family friend Catalin and his children Iris and Rafi
Music takes centre stage from 5.45pm today, when local singer-songwriter and acoustic guitarist Freddie Cleary performs on a stage in front of Ripon Town Hall.
He will be followed by Elton John, Amy Winehouse and Queen tribute acts, whose respective performances will begin at 7pm, 7.45pm and 9.45pm.
Between the tribute acts, at 9pm, hornblower Richard Midgley will be present to set the watch, with blasts of his horn at the four corners of the obelisk.
The Yorkshire Day Weekend is the largest public event to be staged in Ripon since covid restrictions eased on 19 July
The fairground fun and entertainment will be brought to a sparkling crescendo with a fireworks display.
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This day in Ripon’s calendar is normally dedicated to Wilfrid the city’s patron saint and founder of a church on which the cathedral stands.
The covid pandemic caused the cancellation of the 2020 St Wilfrid’s Day procession and also meant that this year’s event is not being staged.
However, to keep the tradition alive, an unofficial St Wilfrid’s Walk was conducted around a route taking in Ripon’s streets which, in non-convid times, would normally be lined by thousands of people.