Young detectives, community nature, running, food and scarecrows are some of the activities lined up this weekend and over half term in Whitby.
A top secret mission awaits young detectives at Whitby Abbey with visitors being asked to step into the role of spy.
Time is of the essence to locate the top secret missing message in an immersive, story-driven experience which challenges them to follow clues, solve puzzles, and uncover hidden messages before they fall into the wrong hands. Participants will track down clues across the site, decipher codes, and piece together the mystery in a race against time.
As part of this year’s Mini Art Festival, a new community nature site at Castleton is being celebrated with a mix of folklore and creative activities tomorrow, 2pm to 4.30pm. Being hosted by The Community Earth Project and 3-Minute Arts at Bow Bridge Community Meadows, visitors can enjoy maypole dancing, storytelling, craft workshops and hands-on nature activities throughout the afternoon.
Highlights include making fairy boats with poetry sails, creating woodland crowns, contributing to a collective poem, and building percussion instruments from natural materials. A light-hearted rhubarb competition will also be judged by the event’s resident ‘Green Man’.
Guided tours of the site will introduce plans for the meadow’s future, including a community orchard and wildflower areas, alongside insights into local history. The event culminates in a colourful folklore procession along the river, followed by a lively Green Man and May Queen pageant, complete with music, Maypole dancing and the announcement of the rhubarb competition winners.
For those wanting something more active, the Cinder Track Park Run takes place at 9am tomorrow, and also on May 30, from the playing fields at Whitby School’s Airy Hill site. There are also kids surf clubs on Tuesday and Friday.
Back indoors, there is chance to be a mini archivist or librarian at Whitby Museum on Thursday with several sessions throughout the day. The Archive Development Officer will give an interactive guide on using the family activities in the ‘Fantastic Archives and Where to Find Them’ exhibition followed by a visit to the real archive room in the museum library.
The following day, on Friday, there will be a screening of ‘Harbouring Voices‘, an oral history of Whitby’s fishing community also at the Museum.
On Sunday May 31, a family friendly fun day with stalls, bouncy castles and rides takes place at the Rugby Club.
And, if you want to hop in the car and head out of town, follow the Goathland Scarecrow festival and hunt which is on from tomorrow until May 31, or head further afield at Malton Food Lovers Festival tomorrow.