Published: Thursday, 9th May 2019
It’s forecast to be sunny this weekend as King’s Lynn holds two popular events
The Tuesday Market Place hosts the Spring Plant & Craft Fair on Saturday between 10am and 4pm.
As well as children’s activities, there will be cakes, hot food, plants and craft stalls. Also a drop-in plant and tree surgery, chainsaw carving demonstration.
Children will be encouraged to plant poppy seeds and take part in creating a display to mark the centenary of Peace Day, which takes place on 19 July. The creation will be shown in July in King’s Lynn library, next to Tower Gardens, which has recently been dedicated as a Centenary Garden by Fields in Trust.
There will be lots to appeal to both keen gardeners and families in search of a fun day out.
The free activity and craft workshops are for all ages, but children under 11 must be accompanied by an adult.
The ‘Parade of Flags’ kicks off the Hanse Festival on Sunday morning. Setting off at 10:45am from the Tuesday Market Place, heading through town and into King’s Staithe Square. Anyone can join the parade and are encouraged to dress as a pirate or Hanse fisherman and make some noise, bring instruments or just pans and wooden spoons.
Music will be playing, people representing Hanseatic nations will be waving flags and thanks to Rachael Williams, the Learning and Engagement Officer from Stories of Lynn, children from local schools will be getting involved with the festival parade again this year. They will create a procession of walking boats that they have designed. Each of the boats will have their sails raised and each sail will feature merchant marks of the time.
Rachel will also be including the Sea Cadets in the activities – they will be learning merchant shipmen skills including balance beam work to make them steady on board ship when the weather is stormy, and walking the plank – in case the pirates that plagued the seas in those times forced them to do so. Other activities include knot tying and rope coiling.
At the festival, children can try their hands at building small boats and popular events from previous festivals return, including Discover Hanseatic Lynn walks and lectures at Marriott’s Warehouse.
The King’s Lynn Town Guides will lead the ‘Discover Hanseatic Lynn’ walks. Each will be an hour-long tour of the town’s key Hanseatic buildings. Walks are free to attend but must be booked at the Tourist Information Centre
There’s live music on the main stage in King’s Staithe Square courtesy of the Pot of Gold Shantymen, The Shackleton Trio and Bear Club. More live music on the day will be provided at the Folk in the Town showcase event, the winner receives £100 and a spot performing at Folk in the Town in July.
The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Latvia to the UK, H.E. Ms Biaba Bráze, will visit the festival and Hanse House will host an exhibition of graphic panels showing the ‘Art Nouveau’ of Riga in Latvia – a Hanseatic Port in the Middle Ages.
The exhibition shows the amazing buildings in Riga as well as images of paintings and ornament. It will be on display on the first floor until 14 May.
The King’s Lynn Hanse Regatta takes place from 10am on Saturday and noon on Sunday. Organised by the King’s Lynn Coastal Rowing Club, the regatta will feature boats from all over the country.
All the latest information is available here.
On Sunday, 12 May, 2019, South Quay and King Staithe Square will be closed to through traffic from about 09:00 to early evening (between 17:30 and 19:00).
Parking will be suspended on the quayside.
Supervised access through the closures will be allowed for South Quay residents in the usual way.