Summer of Fun continues in Newark

Hosted by the well-known local event and activity programme Newark Creates, there really is something for everyone with all events being free of charge to attend! Newark Creates has been organising free interactive events and activities across Newark for three years and this year it is being officially supported by Newark Town Board’s Newark Heart project, creating opportunities for more activities within these well-established events than ever before!

So, what can you expect to see in Newark in the summer of 2024?

Led by Newark Town Council, Newark-On-Sea has once again transformed the town centre into a beach paradise. Running from Wednesday 7 to Monday 19 August, this free event features more than just deck chairs, buckets and spades, as Newark Creates has worked closely with Newark Town Council to create a super extravaganza, with a jammed packed programme full of fantastic additional free activities and events!  Follow Newark Creates on social media for the full programme!  

For a couple of sneaky peaks however, a special Eco and Sustainable Market is taking place this Sunday and includes the return of the Plastic Ocean show featuring the 19-meter-long whale. While tickets have already been snapped up for this show, there’s still a chance to see the whale and get a selfie! Plus get the chance to meet Nimbus and Cumulus, two curious puppet characters, riding aloft their cloud-top homes. These large-scale puppets will be in the Marketplace at 11am, 1pm and 2.45pm. And if you head over to Newark Castle, giant beanbags await you at our CLOUDSCAPES installation! You can enjoy performances by Gobbledegook Theatre, where the clouds take the main stage and with headphones on, you’ll explore a new world high above the clouds in these fantastic shows! Head to the Castle between 10am and 1pm to enjoy this fantastic experience!

And for a second sneaky peak, on Sunday 18 August the eco theme continues with more fantastic events! From Forest Cool Crafts with Mark Clarke and arts workshops with Bookbench artist Carla Dee throughout the day at the beach, it will be a great day to visit Newark Town Centre! Pif Paf Theatre will also be there from 10.30am, 12.15pm and 2pm with their awesome bee inspired travelling street theatre performances!

Later this month Newark Festival returns for another year led by Newark Town Council. Once again, Newark Creates will be supporting with a variety of activities throughout the few days between Saturday 24 to Monday 26 August. Watch out for more information but we really can’t wait for A La Puppet Carte who will be wowing visitors on Sunday 26 August with a mobile puppet show full of surprises, fun and a heart-warming story of friendship and a sense of home!

The Newark BookBench trail is running until 5 September too!  In co-ordination with Wild in Art who are responsible for sculpture trails across the country including Clumber Park’s Shaun the Sheep installation and Lincoln’s imps, the trail is a great edition to a family day out in Newark! The benches, designed by a variety of local artists, also include a fantastic programme of Meet Me At The Benches activities which will be running throughout the summer where the artists and local storytellers will host interactive sessions at each bench. This project has been funded through the Arts Council England and the governments Shared Prosperity Fund and again more information is available by following Newark Creates on social media!

Already making plans for after summer? Mark your diaries, Newark Creates are making plans!

The Festival of Creativity in association with Fun Palaces and Newark Creates is taking place for the third year across the town on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 October!  And A Likely Story, an immersive family-friendly animated short film taking viewers through the history of Newark, projected on the front of Newark Town Hall on the evening of Friday 1 November, a fantastic alternative to fireworks celebrations.

There are a whole host of events and activities taking place across the district as part of the exciting Heritage Open Days running between 6 – 15 September!  Some key highlights are the Newark Brick Show on Saturday 7 September and the Newark Dragon Boat Festival on Sunday 15 September. Plus, don’t forget about the worldwide favourite Robin Hood Festival happening throughout August and this year’s Nottinghamshire Day being celebrated at our very own Sherwood Forest on Sunday 25 August. 

Newark Creates is supported by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, alongside the new funding from Newark Heart, and is led by Newark’s Cultural Consortium. Carol Newman, Director of Inspire: Culture, Learning and Libraries, the lead partner in the consortium, said: “This new funding from Newark Heart, along with that from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, is going to enable us to let our imaginations go even wilder with what can be done for Newark. After transforming the Market Place with colourful umbrellas last year and putting on the hugely successful light show at St Mary Magdalene Church, we want to continue on an upwards trajectory, making Newark even more vibrant, and engaging local people with more fantastic arts activity.”

Councillor Paul Peacock, Leader of Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “We know that events make a big difference to the town, and we are committed to doing all we can to encourage people to visit our town centres across Newark and Sherwood.

“Our Small Business Showcase and Plastic Ocean Show back in April saw dwell time in the town centre rise by 30% compared to average Saturdays so we’re keen to do more.

“I really believe that Newark town centre is fantastic and the events that Newark Creates put on have already added so much. I’m very much looking forward to seeing them build on an already busy schedule of quality activities attracting more people to Newark.”

To find out more about Newark Creates and upcoming events, follow Newark Creates on Facebook or visit www.newarkcreates.co.uk