The Festival focusses on history, heritage and community, and for the May Day Bank Holiday Weekend has a fantastic range of free family-friendly activities lined-up in partnership with some of York’s amazing voluntary groups and organisations, such as The Friends of York Walls, The Sheriff’s Army, Ebor Morris Dancers, The Red Tower and The River Foss Society.
Explore the 500-year-old Fishergate Postern Tower and visit former gunpowder store the Red Tower on the famous Bar Walls for free! Make sure you visit the street fair at Fishergate Bar where there will be family-friendly games to play and prizes to win! Plus meet our special festival mascot ‘Festival Fox’!
Families can pick up a free Activity Booklet and our ever-popular Explorer’s Trail to collect stamps at each of the Festival venues!
The Festival is delighted to work with, for the first time, York Mansion House, presenting a fantastic exhibition that links the historic walled cities of York and Nanjing, China! The Festival and The Walls Museum, Nanjing have exchanged six iconic images of each other’s walls, and the twelve images will be displayed until June at York Mansion House (and also in Nanjing!). An entrance fee at York Mansion House may apply.
Pop along to The Phoenix Inn at Fishergate Bar on Saturday afternoon and witness The Sheriff of York, Ashley Mason, undertaking the traditional ‘Assize of Ale’, ably assisted by landlord Paul Rodgers, who’ll be serving The Sheriff a special pint of our ‘FestivAle’ brewed by Ainsty Ales.
For more information and details of which events are happening on which days, and approximate timings of activities, visit yorkwallsfestival.org and keep an eye on the @YorkWallsFest Twitter account.
Please note that the Festival and most activities are run by volunteers, and that unforeseen circumstances may cause late changes to the programme.
Baz Jones, York Walls Festival Director said…
“We’re delighted to present the first ever York Walls Festival ‘Spring Weekend’, at a time in the year when York and the famous Bar Walls arguably look their best! As always there are lots of fun and free family-friendly activities to enjoy as you walk the walls. In particular we’re thrilled to be joined by incredible local groups who really are the lifeblood of the community, promoting and preserving York’s incredible heritage. For example, The Sheriff’s Army and the Ebor Morris Dancers are invaluable in the way they maintain and preserve our traditions, and in particular I can’t wait to see the Escrick Sword Dance at Toft Tower on the Sunday!
Thanks to York Mansion House and The Walls Museum, China, this year there’s an international flavour to one of our events, with the ‘Walled Cities’ display at Mansion House, showing six images from each city.
Thanks so much to our partners and volunteers who make the Festival possible – we hope everyone who comes along has a fantastic time!”
