The eagerly-anticipated Festival of Suffolk gets underway in just one month, with a family race day at Newmarket kicking off the celebrations.
The home of horseracing hopes to attract a bumper crowd for a family-themed day on Saturday, May 14, and it will offer much more than just racing.
It will be the first major event for the festival, which features an impressive line-up between May and September to help the county mark the Queen's platinum jubilee.
Decorated with bunting and flags, not only will the racecourse host a great day of racing, there will be craft activities for children, face-painting, a Hornby model racetrack, strolling musicians, and Suffolk Punches to admire.
A Spitfire and a Hurricane will have flown in and will be on display, along with their pilots and suitably uniformed re-enactors to chat to. There will also be a competition to allow up to five members of the public to sit inside either aircraft.
Sophie Able, general manager of Newmarket Racecourses, said: “We’re really excited to be hosting the Festival of Suffolk Race Day at The Rowley Mile and celebrating all that is great about the county at one of its most recognisable sporting venues.
“The Queen’s role as Patron of The Jockey Club and as a longstanding racehorse owner, breeder and fan of the sport add real significance to these celebrations of the 70 years of her reign and we’re looking forward to a superb day where there will be something for everyone.”
It will also welcome the festival's Torch Relay, which will have begun its 550-mile rickshaw journey the previous day.
The day will also support the Cambridge Children’s Hospital Campaign. The new hospital will treat children and young people from across the eastern region, including Suffolk.
Tim Holder, Festival of Suffolk communications director, said: “Everyone is invited to experience the excitement of world-class racing on our very own doorstep whilst at the same time helping to raise funds to support those in need in Suffolk via The Festival Legacy Fund and providing a very special launchpad for The Cambridge Children’s Hospital.”
Tickets for the Family Race Day start at £12, with under-18’s going for free, but NHS Blue Card holders can apply for free tickets for the day. https://www.bluelightcard.co.uk
Gates open at 11.30 and racing begins 1.30pm. There will be plenty of time to enjoy the activities and entertainment as well as the racing, all of which will continue until teatime.
For more details and tickets visit www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/newmarket/events-tickets/spring-meeting/saturday/
What else is happening for the Festival of Suffolk?
There are dozens of community events and initiatives taking place across the county, but here are some of the main ones in the pipeline:
- The Queen's Green Canopy - aiming to plant over 775,000 trees in Suffolk, one for every person.
- Clean for the Queen - a community tidy-up from April 29-May 2.
- A new Suffolk Garland - Inspired and compiled by the Aldeburgh Bookshop, it is an anthology of the best writing and art in celebration of Suffolk. It features many well-known names.
- Festival of Suffolk Torch Relay - It starts in Brandon on May 13, and ends at the Suffolk Show on June 1, passing through around 250 communities on the way. There will be torchbearers chosen by their communities.
- Festival of the Sea (Royal Hospital School) - RHS is hosting a Family Day on June 11 as part of the Festival of the Sea, celebrating the Royal Navy and its historic links to Suffolk.
- Festival of the Sea - Watch a spectacular flotilla of boats off the Suffolk and Essex coast on June 18, convening between Essex and Suffolk, at the confluence of the rivers Stour and Orwell, the fleet will assemble near the Ganges Buoy at Shotley Spit. The parade will start at 2pm.
- Suffolk Business Expos - The Business Expos will be held across the county from June 20 - July 8.
- Suffolk Community Games - Taking place in Bury St Edmunds, the Games will provide a unique opportunity for specially-invited participants to take part in non-traditional activities such as BMX and climbing, while traditional sports such as athletics and football will be a key part of delivering an inclusive festival experience.
- Let's Rock concert at Trinity Park, September 10 - the festival finale features a concert with chart-topping acts from the 80s.
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