Don’t miss a thing in 2016, with our great guide to the unmissable events in the county in the year ahead.
JANUARY
New Year’s Day Walk
January 1
Stretch your legs with a seasonal tour of Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden, between Norwich and Great Yarmouth, with the head gardener. The walk begins at 11am and you’ll learn about the history of Fairhaven and enjoy a mince pie and hot mulled wine in the tearoom.
Included in garden entry, and free to members; www.fairhavengarden.co.uk
New Year Fly In
January 3
Old Buckenham Airfield is holding its traditional New Year Fly In, with vintage and modern aircraft landing on its runway. Warming winter food served all day, and classic cars and bikes will be on display.
Tickets £2 per person/bike or £5 per car; www.oldbuck.com
Floodlit swan feeds
Throughout January (Thursdays – Sundays only)
Experience a stunning evening of watching wild swans being fed by floodlight from the comfort of the centrally-heated main hide at the WWT Welney Wetland Centre, followed by a Q&A.
Cost included in admission and free to members; www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/welney
Lambing season at Snettisham Park
End of January
Lambing time is a great experience for all the visitors to Snettisham Park. In 2015 more thanthey had over 400 ewes to lambed, and with all ltheir ewes lambing indoors it enables visitors canto see “lambing live”.
- a truly special experience.
Tickets,: £6 adults, £5 children (under-twos 2s are free);
www.snettishampark.co.uk
FEBRUARY
Snowdrop walks at Walsingham Abbey
Throughout February
With perfect conditions for these beautiful flowers to thrive, visitors to Walsingham Abbey will find 18 acres of woodland carpeted with snowdrops to explore. The grounds open daily in Feburary, 10am-4pm, with admission: £4;
www.walsinghamabbey.com
Seeing the LLight
Throughout February
WShowcasing works on paper from the Norwich Castle’s art collection which haves rarely , if ever, been displayed before will be. On display in the Colman Watercolour Gallery at Norwich Castle Museum this month. A
Admission is £6 for a: Adults and £4 for c£6, Children; £4
www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk
Tracker Trail at Sheringham Park
13-21 February 13 to 21 (10am-4pm)
Find and solve the clues to win a prize. Find out how to spot the tell-tale signs animals leave behind (tracks, feeding signs and poo!) with a fun quiz trail. Solve the clues to win a prize. Booking not needed, 10am to 4pm, a.
Admission: £2.30 per trail;
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/events
EDP Wedding Show at Norfolk Showground
20-21 February 20 and 21(11am-4pm)
TPlanning a wedding can be stressful, so take the stress of planning a wedding byhassle out of it by visiting the EDP’s biggest wedding show of the year. The two A 2-day event will at the Norfolk showground it will feature plenty of exhibitors to give you inspiration.
Advance tickets £8 or £10 on the door;
www.edp24.co.uk/features/edp-weddings
50 Things To Do On Brancaster Beach
17 February 17 (10am to– 4pm)
Join the National Trustour team for a day of 50 things themed family fun, including kite flying, stone skimming, animal tracking, sandcastle building and bug hunting on the Norfolk Coast at Brancaster Beach. Fly one of our kites, (or bring your own), try stone skimming, track a wild animal, build an epic sandcastle, or sit back and watch the birdlife or hunt for bugs. Meet at Brancaster bBeach, (PE31 8AX, between 10am and 4pm; )
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/events
MARCH
Norfolk County Music Festival
March 1-11
NCMF is a charitable trust dedicated to providing amateur musicians of all ages with opportunities to perform in public, in front of friendly audiences. Venues around Norwich include the Assmebly House and St Andrew’s Hall; take a look at the website to , and to receive positive advice from the professional adjudicators who come to listen to them.
Admission £2.50, under 18s free
www.norfolk-music-festival.org
Alphonse Mucha: In Quest of Beauty
March 1-20
It’s the last chance to see the exhibition of work by Alph
Czech-born Alphonse Mucha ((1860 – 1939) at the Sis one of the most celebrated artists of the fin-de-siècle. This exhibition, at the Sainsbury’s Ccentre for Visual Arts, in Norwich. Aexplores his work, around the theme of beauty – the core principle underlying his artistic philosophy.
Admission is: £7, concessions /£6; ww concessions
www.scva.ac.uk
Norwich Fashion Week
March 10-17
Created in 2010 to celebrate and promote the vibrant fashion scene in the city, NFW brings together Norwich’s nationally-recognised, independent retail offering, and the city’s thriving student fashion design community, plus professional practitioners in fashion and beauty experts. Shows sell out fast, so book early;
www.norwichfashion.co.uk
Norwich Philharmonic’s 175th Birthday
March 19
The Norwich Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra come together for a special celebratory concert of orchestral and popular classic music to mark the society’s 175th birthday at St Andrew’s Hall in Norwich;
www.norwichphil.org.uk
Norfolk Wildlife Trust 90th Anniversary
March 26
NWT Cley Marshes is Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s oldest and best known nature reserve. It was purchased in 1926 to be held “‘in perpetuity as a bird breeding sanctuary”’. Join the trust as it them as they celebrates its their 90th anniversary; . For more details see their website.
www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk
Thursford Collection
March 27 until September 23
Come and see the extraordinaryworld’s largest collection of steam engines and organs and, hear Robert Wolfe, one of the world’s leading theatre organists, play the mighty Wurlitzer at 1.30pm and 3pm. daily. Lunch available in the barn, and visit the ‘olde worlde’ shopping village. Admission is: £9.50 adults, children £5.50 (under-fours 4s free);
www.thursford.com
APRIL
Burnham Market International Horse Trials
April 1-3
One of tBased in North West Norfolk it is one of the county’s finest horse events, where visitors can see Olympic and cChampionship athletes competing on home turf, including Team GB Olympians Zara Phillips, William Fox-Pitt, Pippa Funnell and Mary King.
Admission is: £6 adults / £3 children;
www.musketeer.co.uk
The Norfolk Spring Fling at the Norfolk Showground
April 5
This Norfolk Spring Fling is a fun- filled, educational day for learning more about food, farming and the countryside, is recommended for four to 14-ye fourteen year- olds, with more than. There will be lots to see and do, with over 70 interactive stands, lots of animals and even dancing and a variety of animals including cows, goats, owls, ponies and of course the dancing sheep in The Sheep Show! Admission is: £8.50 for children and adults (under 2s free);
www.springfling.rnaa.org.uk
University of East AngliaEA Spring Literary Festival
April 13, 20 & 27
Former Archibishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams and writers (former Archbishop of Canterbury), Deborah Levy and Joanne Harris will be appearing as part of the University of EAast Anglia’s Spring Literacy Festival line-up this April.
Individual tickets, : £8 – includes booking fee
www.uea.ac.uk/litfest
East Anglian Game and Country Fair
April 23 & 24
TheAn annual two- day, family event held at the Norfolk Showground will welcome, Norwich, They welcome world class events and attractions to which are sure to entertain the whole family.
Tickets in advance,: £13 adults, / £5 children (under 5s free);
www.ukgamefair.co.uk
Pedal Norfolk Cycling Festival
April 30 to May 20
This Pedal Norfolk is a unique family- friendly cycling event combines great routes for riders of all ages as well as plenty of activities, live music and entertainment. Routes. While the riders are stacking up the miles, there’s masses to do at the festival for smaller children and supporters. There are routes for all ages and live music and entertainment in the evening.
Challenges range from 20 to 100miles, and the festival is based, at Holkham Hall
www.pedalnorfolk.co.uk
