Somerset Day: Your guide to the county's celebrations
Here's what to expect for this year's county day
Last updated 10th May 2024
Events are taking place across Somerset on Saturday (11th May) to mark Somerset Day.
Picnics, food festivals, concerts and competitions are taking place across the county to celebrate Somerset's heritage.
May marks the anniversary of when Alfred the Great gathered all the people of Somerset to defeat the Viking army, and is now an opportunity to celebrate the county's rich history.
The day was founded by community organisation Passion for Somerset.
"We are the bread basket of the UK," said founder Nigel Meurs-Raby, "we have more farm, food and drink producers than any other county.
"We have some wonderful national parks, the largest music festival in Europe - we're a hive of really interesting businesses.
"Sometimes we're not very good about shouting what we have here in Somerset.
"It's not just about the food and the produce that we're well known for, or the countryside, it's about encouraging people to see Somerset as place where people want to live and work.
"To try an encourage our young to keep on coming back here because there are great opportunities."
As part of celebrations, local people are being encouraged to join in with the big picnic taking place in local villages, town halls, community centres, care homes, offices and businesses.
Somerset Day Events
Here are the key events happening across the county:
Bridgwater
7pm - 10pm: Songs of Somerset, Bridgwater Arts Centre
Ilminster
10:30am - 2pm: Ilminster Town Criers' Competition
Langport
10am - 3pm: Interactive art and t-shirt painting, The Old Registry Office
Lytes Cary Manor
10am - 4pm: Craft market
Milborne Port
10am - 4pm: History day, Town hall
North Curry
2pm - 4:30pm: May Fair, Church Road and Queen Square
Shepton Montague
10am - 8pm: Dowding's Somerset Day Orchards Open Weekend
Stoke-sub-Hamdon
12:30pm - 3pm: Ham Hill history walk
Taunton
10am - 4pm: Taunton Eat Food Festival, Taunton Minster, Hammet Street and East Street
7pm - 9pm: Fanfare for Somerset, The Fitzwarren Chamber Orchestra, St John's Church
Westhay
10am - 4pm: King Alfred and Somerset Day at Avalon Archaeology
Wookey
5pm - 9pm: Somerset Day at Wookey Farm
Yeovil
12pm - 11pm: Yeovil Beer Festival, Yeovil Town Football Club
To find out more about these events, or to find a picnic near you, click here.