5 things to do in and around Harrogate this weekend June 14-165 things to do in Harrogate and the district this weekend

Head to Harrogate Spring Flower Show

Harrogate Spring Flower Show is back and is taking place this week from Thursday to Sunday. It is one of the most popular events in the area, attracting up to 90,000 visitors each year.

Get garden inspiration aplenty thanks to plant and floral nursery displays, gardens designs, talks and demonstrations. There will also be stalls selling everything you could possibly need to make your garden the sanctuary you’d like it to be – the perfect inspiration as we (hopefully and eventually) head into warmer climes.

From £25, 9.30am-5pm, April 25-28, Great Yorkshire Showground, HG2 8NZ.

Listen to live music at Three’s A Crowd

Elena May

Listen to the laid-back music of Elena May as you drink or dine at Three’s A Crowd this Friday. Or on Sunday enjoy a roast until 7pm all to the background of self-accompanied piano vocalist Beth Ibbotson, who will be playing a range of feel-good favourites.

Elena May, 8pm until late, April 26; Beth Ibbotson, 6pm-9pm, April 28. 11 West Park, HG1 1BL.

Beth Ibbotson

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Go to a personal styling event

Are you unsure of what to wear or what suits you and looking for new clothes? Then head to local personal stylist Anna Mewes, who is hosting an evening of styling and shopping and will be taking clients through the hottest trends for spring and summer.

This will be followed by a chance to shop the Mint Velvet collection in store with a glass of bubbles in hand.

£20, 6.30-8.30pm, April 25, Mint Velvet, 29-31 James Street, HG1 1QY.

Attend a local wine fair

Local independent wine merchants Ake & Humphris is putting on its annual spring wine fair this Sunday.

Simply pick up a tasting glass on arrival and work your way round the table where you can sample more than 50 styles that include floral whites, new champagnes, decadent reds, fruity rosés and natural wines, as well as spirits.

These include wines from new origins including Slovenia and Bulgaria, new grape varieties such as Zelen and Zibibbo, plus some prestigious bottlings by wineries including Crossbarn by Paul Hobbs and Elderton Estate from Barrossa, Australia, not forgetting spirits from local distillers, Noble Spring.

£25, 12-2pm, 3-5pm, 6-8pm, April 28, Balcony Sports Bar, Harrogate Cricket Ground, Saint George’s Road, HG2 9BP. Places are limited so visit the website to reserve your space. For over 18s only.

Go to a duo of choral concerts

Voces Seraphorum choir

Formed in 2015, chamber choir Voces Seraphorum performs regular concerts at cathedrals and churches. Singing in a variety of styles, this Saturday they will perform well-known choral masterpieces alongside some lesser-known songs all to the background of brass band Summerbridge & Dacre Silver Band at St James Church Birstwith on Saturday.

They will also be performing at St Michael & All Angels’ Church Beckwithshaw on Sunday but without the brass band.

From £12, 7pm, April 27, St James Church Birstwith, Lackon Bank, HG3 2NG. £10 per adult (children are free), 4pm, April 28, at St Michael & All Angels’ Church Beckwithshaw, 4 Otley Road, Beckwithshaw, HG3 1QW.

Do you have an event that you’d like us to potentially feature in the future? Drop me an email at francesca@thestrayferret.co.uk

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What’s new for the 2024 Harrogate Spring Flower Show

Above image: making seed bombs, Meadow in my Garden

Harrogate Spring Flower Show is back and is taking place this week over four days from Thursday April 25 to Sunday April 28. It is one of the most popular events in the area, attracting up to 90,000 visitors each year.

Get garden inspiration aplenty thanks to plant and floral nursery displays, garden designs, talks and demonstrations. There will also be stalls selling everything you could possibly need to make your garden the sanctuary you’d like it to be – the perfect inspiration as we (hopefully and eventually) head into warmer climes.

And this year visitors to Harrogate Spring Flower Show can partake in a complimentary class led by seasoned plant experts.

All you need to do is head to the Plant Workshop stand in the Grand Floral Hall and sign up. But be warned: places are limited to one class per person, are subject to availability and are sure to go fast.

Create a mini spring floral arrangement

Leafy Couture

Arrange a spring flower posy at this workshop by Leafy Couture.

Attendees will learn about the flowers that will be used for the posy that will likely be a mixture of double, frilly and parrot tulips, ranunculus, blossom, wallflowers and foliages, and then be shown step-by-step how to arrange them.

Every day, 11.15am-12 noon.

Make seed bombs

Meadow in my Garden

Meadow in my Garden is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company that promotes gardening for wildlife.

Its workshop will impart some useful tips about flower meadow creation including seed selection, methodology and maintenance, and will provide a breakdown of the best way to produce seed balls to become a guerrilla gardener.

Every day, 1.15pm-2pm.

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Dive into the art of mossarium crafting 

York Terrariums

Learn all about the history and science behind these self-sustaining ecosystems before getting a chance to build your own.

The workshop by York Terrariums will start with a short introduction explaining the history and science that goes into building a terrarium, from the different plants you can use to why activated charcoal is a special ingredient.

Then you can roll up your sleeves and create your own, filling a terrarium jar with various plants, pebbles, and moss.

At the end of the session, take away the miniature garden home and watch it develop over the next few months and years.

Every day, 3.15pm-4pm.

Make sure you check out… the Houseplant Zone

Image: Pixaby

Looking for new houseplants? Then head to the Houseplant Zone, also new for 2024.

Featuring a backdrop based on the fabled Hanging Gardens of Babylon created by Leafy Couture Flowers, here you’ll discover perfect plants for every corner; whether it’s a shady hallway yearning for greenery or a sun-drenched windowsill begging for life.

Any finally…

A visual of Harrogate Hospital’s show garden

The long-awaited show gardens are back for 2024. Featuring inspirational garden design, they will also showcase local organisations’ work through horticulture, including Horticap, Yorkshire Air Ambulance and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

It will also host the Creative Borders category, supported by the Association of Professional Landscapers, that will have innovative ideas and creative concepts for the smallest of spaces.

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5 alternative Easter activities in and around Harrogate

(Image above: a Frank Sinatra tribute act is performing on Easter Monday at Grantley Hall)

Easter has come early this year and there are some brilliant activities this weekend – see our 7 Easter activities to keep the kids entertained – but aside from this there are other goings-on in and around Harrogate; read on for inspiration aplenty…

Watch a Frank Sinatra tribute act at Grantley Hall

Listen to Phil Fryer belt out some of the most iconic Frank Sinatra songs of all time including My Way, Strangers In The Night and Come Fly With Me.

Dining during the performance is already fully booked for the event, but guests can sip drinks and enjoy the show in newly relaunched The Orchard’s lounge area where Phil will perform some of Frank’s biggest hits. Or you can always make a reservation to dine in Fletchers restaurant pre- or post-show instead.

Free, limited spaces available, first come, first serve, 1.30pm-3pm, April 1, Grantley Hall, Ripon, HG4 3ET.

Learn how to make pasta from scratch

Pixaby

If you’re walking or up in the Yorkshire Dales this Easter weekend and you fancy trying your hand at something a little bit different, why not take part in a pasta making workshop?

Keld resident Chris Giles demonstrates how you can make pasta from scratch using no specialist equipment. All ingredients are included, and afterwards you can savour the fruits of your labour with a hearty bowl of what you’ve cooked.

£30, March 31, 1-4pm, The Keld Resource Centre, Keld, Richmond, DL11 6LJ.

Take part in traditional Yorkshire Dales dancing 

Nidd Music and Dance

Did you know that there’s traditional music and dances that derive from Yorkshire Dales’ villages? Help to keep it alive by taking part in this event at Ripley Town Hall.

Each traditional Dales dance such as the Kendal Ghyll and the Huntsman’s Chorus is explained and walked through before you dance to them, all to the background of live folk music.

Free for children, £10 for adults, 6.30pm-10pm, March 30, Ripley Town Hall, HG3 3AX.

Visit Ripley Castle Markets

Ripley Castle Markets

Taking place on the last Sunday of every month from February to December, this month Ripley Castle Markets is holding a seasonal market. It will bring together more than 40 independent local artisans, producers and creatives to showcase their wares all to the backdrop of the Grade I listed building.

Goodies and treats that will be available include breads and cakes from Baltzersen’s, Skipton’s Antony’s Biltong, cookie boxes from Carlton Kitchen, cheeses from Wharfedale Fine Cheeses, plus something for your four-legged friends, as well as present ideas inspiration aplenty.

You can make a day of it too as on market day, the castle and grounds are free to visit. And there will be extra Easter activities including a bunny hunt, children’s craft activities – click here for more information – and guided tours of the castle.

Free, there’s an additional cost for the children’s craft activities and castle tours and pre-booking for these is advised, March 31, 10am-3pm, Ripley Castle, HG3 3AY.

Laugh out loud at a comedy show

Harrogate Theatre

If you’ve not yet been to one of the regular Hyena Lounge Comedy Club nights at Harrogate Theatre, this Saturday could be the opportune occasion as there’s a trio of brilliant stand-up comedians including Hal Cruttenden, Simon Evans and Jenny Hart, all led by the compere for the night, Danny McLoughlin.

From £20, 8pm, March 30, Oxford Street, Harrogate, HG1 1QF.

Do you have an event that you’d like us to potentially feature in the future? Drop me an email at francesca@thestrayferret.co.uk

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5 things to do in and around Harrogate this weekend

Stuck for ideas of what to do in and around Harrogate at the weekend? As well as the Knaresborough Tractor Run – see times here – and a showcase of supercars, here’s what else is happening from March 15-17.

Discover BEAM Light Festival

James Bawn, photography, Richard Maude

Lighting up the town is BEAM, a brand-new event for 2024 by Harrogate International Festivals.

Enjoy spectacular light installations and soundscapes in both the expected and unexpected places as you wander through town; think everything from dancing twinkling lights in Valley Gardens’ trees to searchlights beaming patterns up across the sky.

There will be 10 illuminations in total – see if you can spot them all. To read our interview with the artist, click here.

Free, from dusk until 10pm, March 15-16, venues across town, for more information, click here.

Tap along to live music at Roosters

Chris Helme, Rooster’s Unplugged

There aren’t many watering holes near Hornbeam Park – there’s certainly a gap in the market for a few more – but Roosters is where it’s at for a weekend pint without the schlep into town.

And it’s not just a brewery – it regularly holds events upstairs in its taproom – and on Friday night it’s hosting a gig by solo artist Chris Helme, frontman of The Seahorses (formed by Stone Roses’ John Squire) as part of its Rooster’s Unplugged series.

As well as new music, expect to hear Chris’ blend of honesty and anecdotes from a 30-plus year career in the music industry. He will also be supported by singer-songwriter Gary Stewart and an opening set by regular Mick P Kerr.

£16.95, doors 7pm, March 15, Roosters, Unit H5, Fifth Avenue, Hornbeam Park, Harrogate HG2 8QT, for tickets, click here.

Let your creativity bloom at a floral workshop

Pixaby

If you’ve ever wanted to create your own wow-factor floral centrepiece, now is the opportune occasion as renowned Harrogate florist Helen James is running a course this Saturday.

Taking place at Coach & Horses Harrogate, you’ll learn some top flower arranging tips while sipping a glass of prosecco and making a stunning floral table arrangement to take home with you.

What’s more, attendees can also receive 20 per cent off the Coach & Horses’ menu when booking a table in advance.

£65 per person, from 11.30am, March 16, Coach & Horses, 16 West Park, Harrogate, HG1 1BJ.

Conjure up some answers at a Harry Potter-themed quiz

Pixaby

Test your Hogwarts knowledge with a Harry Potter quiz that’s taking place on Saturday night at Waterstones, Harrogate.

Gather a team of up to six Muggles and magic up a group name – there will even be a prize given for the best one before the event has even started – then bring your A-game as you try to guess the answers to questions all themed around Voldemort and the Death Eaters.

Free but tickets must be reserved in advance, 6.15pm, March 16, Waterstones Harrogate, 15 James Street, Harrogate, HG1 1QS.

Watch Fat Chance by Rachel Stockdale at Harrogate Theatre

Rachel Stockdale, Harrogate Theatre

Taking place at Harrogate Studio Theatre, this one-woman play explores the topic of fatphobia and some of Rachel’s lived experiences of going from a size 8 to a size 18.

Inspired by an encounter she had on honeymoon in a restaurant where a waiter assumed she was pregnant, the show covers dark comedy, songs and dancing, and highlights the pressure many women put on themselves to look a certain way and be accepted.

£14, 7.45pm, March 15, Harrogate Studio Theatre, Oxford Street, Harrogate, HG1 1QF.

Do you have an event that you’d like us to potentially feature in the future? Drop me an email at francesca@thestrayferret.co.uk

 

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Leading comic artists to appear at Harrogate convention

Harrogate’s annual comic art convention has announced an all-star line-up of artists and writers.

More than 400 artists and exhibitors are already set to attend the Thought Bubble Comic Art Convention.

Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk and Batman and Sin City artist Frank Miller are among the guests.

Other artists include Joelle Jones (illustrator and writer for Batman and Catwoman), Doug Braithwaite (artist for many Marvel and DC comics including Wolverine, Thor and Batman) and many more.

The convention will take place on November 13 and 14, at Harrogate Convention Centre.

Activities in store include panels, live drawing, workshops and meet and greets. There will also be a kids’ zone with crafts and a quiet area for reading.

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Attendees are encouraged to come dressed as their favourite characters, and there will be a competition for the best homemade cosplay outfits.

A wider Thought Bubble comic art festival will also be taking place during the week starting November 8 across Yorkshire. Film screenings, art exhibitions and other events will be open to people across the county.

Tula Lotay founded Thought Bubble in 2007 and it began in the basement of Leeds Town Hall. It is now one of the biggest comic art conventions in the UK.

She drew the first official art for the convention, and it has been policy that the official artwork be drawn by a female artist ever since.

This is in response to a lack of diversity within the industry when she started; she hopes to open it up to other marginalised groups in years to come.

You can find tickets for this year’s convention here.

Tickets go on sale for extended Great Yorkshire Show

Tickets went on sale today for the annual Great Yorkshire Show, which will be extended over 4 days in July.

The show, which is usually 3 days long, will take place this year on July 13-16 to allow for extra tickets to be sold despite a smaller capacity. It is one of the only events of its type to be taking place in Yorkshire this summer, with the majority being cancelled.

The event will take place at its usual site at the Great Yorkshire Showground, with more space being utilised to allow for social distancing measures.

The Yorkshire Agricultural Society, which runs the event, made the decision to sell only advanced tickets this year with none being sold at the gate, to allow for a controlled capacity.

There will be a limit of 25,000 visitors a day as opposed to its usual 40,000 a day average.

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The society has planned a number of changes to make the event safer for participants amidst Covid-19 regulations, such as required track and trace, changes to the layout and a one-way system in the food hall.

The showground’s grandstand will only allow 30 percent of its usual capacity to allow for social distancing.

The show will put a halt on the coronavirus vaccinations which have been taking place at the Yorkshire Event Centre on the showground since December.

The event comes after its first cancellation in 20 years last year due to the national lockdown. A number of virtual events took its place including farm tours and online workshops.