Things to Do

Looking for things to do locally? You’re in the right place. For more, head over to our events calendar here

05th Oct 2020

Residents urged to rediscover Northampton – responsibly

Covid-19 has presented challenges for us all, but particularly town centres. Following a challenging few months for Northampton, the town’s independent businesses have come together to urge residents to rediscover and support the town centre – whilst remaining vigilant to social distancing and protecting others. We've released a video showcasing a snapshot of both the town’s most popular attractions and hidden gems waiting to be discovered. From fresh local produce in the Market Square, to family businesses on Abington Street and cosy cafés throughout the Heritage Gateway, visitors are encouraged to move around the different areas of the town and rediscover Northampton’s best kept secrets. The video includes major attractions such as 78 Derngate, which has reopened to the public for pre-booked tours, through to restaurants such as Saffron, who have gone above and beyond to help the local community throughout the pandemic, and shops such as Watts the Furnishers,..

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30th Sep 2020

Northampton Borough Council events programme goes virtual

Northampton’s annual Diwali, Guy Fawkes Day fireworks, Christmas light switch on and Frost Fair celebrations are set to be marked in a unique way this year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Following the cancellation of all large-scale events scheduled to take place in the town centre, Northampton Borough Council and its partners will bring the community together through a number of virtual celebrations. The action-packed schedules are being finalised and will include virtual performances, drone footage and images from previous events, speeches and poems, virtual mystery tours and virtual parades. Although most of the Christmas related activities will be virtual, Northampton residents and visitors will still be able to enjoy the traditional large Christmas trees across town, cross street lights and street entertainment that will take place in social distanced manner. Councillor Anna King, Cabinet member for community engagement and safety, said: “Whilst public gatherings are no longer possible,..

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26th Jun 2020

Raise a cuppa to say thank you

The first weekend in July will be marked by a minute’s silence in memory of all those who have lost their lives and a national moment of appreciation for the social connections that have kept the country going through such adversity, when we can all raise a glass, or a cup of tea in a nationwide offer of thanks and appreciation. It will be an opportunity to thank not just NHS staff and other essential workers, but all those who continue to work so hard to support each other and sustain our communities throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.   Join in on Sunday 5th July to mark the 72nd anniversary of the founding of our NHS.  Why not have your own virtual tea party at home while video-calling your family and friends and send us your pictures?  We’d love to share as many pictures as we can on our website and social..

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26th Jun 2020

Food and drink awards are finally served up...

The team behind the Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards is delighted to announce that, following a delay to its spring launch owing to the COVID-19 outbreak, the competition in now underway for its twelfth year! The Awards, which are run by the sector for the sector, are aimed at celebrating all that is great about local produce and drink, recognising excellence within the county’s dining venues and rewarding those who work so hard within the culinary sector. Thanks to ongoing support from its existing sponsors – new headline sponsor Weetabix, Booker, British Pepper & Spice, Daily Bread, Dawn Farms, Heygates Flour and Animal Feed, Howes Percival LLP, Moulton College, Northampton College and Whitworth Bros Ltd Flour Millers - and with continued support from SEMLEP (South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership) and Warner’s, the Awards will continue to offer public recognition to the county’s finest eateries and chefs, producers and..

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25th Jun 2020

Ride rolls on regardless...

It may have finished off the FA Cup final, seen Wimbledon whitewashed and even overcome the Olympics, but the team behind the county’s favourite annual fundraising bike ride are adamant that COVID-19 won’t have them running for cover! Which is why, with some creative logistical tricks up their lycra sleeves, should they be needed, plans are still in place for Cycle4Cynthia - the biggest fundraiser in the calendar for Northamptonshire’s Cynthia Spencer Hospice – to take place on Sunday, 20th September. The event, which has brought in more than £600k over the last 16 years, is a highly anticipated fixture in the diary of the hundreds of cyclists of all ages and abilities who take part each year, for whom it is a wonderful way of saying ‘thank you’ for the remarkable Hospice care given to their loved ones, and that’s why fundraising manager, John Helm, is offering some welcome..

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18th Jun 2020

Northampton Pride celebrations go virtual

Northampton’s LGBTQ and Allies Forum, Northampton Pride Committee and Grosvenor Shopping Northampton are encouraging artists, performers, community groups and individuals to get involved in a social distanced celebration of the LGBTQ community on Saturday, 18 July. Following the cancellation of Pride parade and associated events set to take place in the town centre due to the coronavirus outbreak, Northampton Pride Committee and partners will bring the community together through a Virtual Pride Festival and a motivational campaign across town. LGBTQ individuals in Northampton are invited to share their story as part of a motivational, art installation campaign that will take place across town for the month of July. They can get involved by submitting a 200-word story or a video to forums@northampton.gov.uk by Wednesday, 24 June. The submission could be covering areas such as coming out, living and being part of Northampton LGBTQ community and what Pride means to them...

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07th May 2020

Northampton’s VE Day 2020 goes virtual

Northampton is set to mark VE Day 2020 in a unique way this year, with a virtual programme of events taking place on the 8 May, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the end of war in Europe. The celebrations, coordinated by Northampton Borough Council, will be streamed throughout the day, and can be viewed on the Mayor of Northampton’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/MayorOfNorthampton An action-packed schedule, beginning with an 11am sermon delivered by Father Oliver Coss, will be followed by an extraordinary remote performance from the All Saints’ Choir. Speeches, readings and poems will also be shared throughout the afternoon, by the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Northampton, the Lord Lieutenant, the Chairman of the Northamptonshire Royal British Legion and the Chairman of Northamptonshire Reserve Forces and Cadets Association. The day’s pre-planned proceedings will be honoured in a virtual manner; with a bugler playing the ‘Last Post’ just before 3pm,..

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