Scarborough celebrates 400th anniversary as a spa town with year-long events
Residents and visitors invited to join diverse cultural celebrations
Today marks the beginning of Scarborough's year-long celebration of its 400th anniversary as a spa town, offering local communities an array of cultural events to commemorate this milestone. Organised by North Yorkshire Council and local organisations, the programme honours Scarborough's rich heritage while positioning it as a premier destination for the future.
Cllr Simon Myers, North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for arts and culture, stated, “The 400th anniversary of the spa waters being discovered at Scarborough is a huge event for the town, and there is a really varied programme of events taking place to celebrate.”
Animated Objects, a Scarborough-based arts organisation, has curated a series of events supported by Arts Council England. Starting today, community activities, including lantern-making workshops, are scheduled throughout May and June.
A lantern-making event takes place today at St. Mary's Church for adults and children aged seven and over. Later in the year, SeaFest at Scarborough Spa will showcase large-scale family arts activities on 18th and 19th July, featuring a handcrafted spa pump room recreation and LEGO model.
A silent disco is scheduled for 8th August at Scarborough Spa, offering family-friendly fun and an evening session for adults. Autumn celebrations will include Moonlight on the Lake lantern displays in Peasholm Park on 23rd and 24th October.
The festivities will culminate in the annual community lantern parade during the Scarborough Sparkle weekend on 27th November. The programme is complemented by the unveiling of Aqua Vitalis, a bronze sculpture by Jethro Crabb, celebrating Thomasin Farrer’s discovery of the town’s spa waters in 1626.
The chair of the council’s Scarborough and Whitby area committee, Cllr Liz Colling, said: “So many of our residents are rightly proud to live in Scarborough, and this year is an opportunity to celebrate all that makes the town so special.
“I am sure that the programme of events will appeal to a wide range of people including those who are visiting Scarborough as well as our own residents, and I would encourage everyone to get involved.”