KAYA FESTIVAL - 25 & 26 MAY 2013
To be held on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 May near Bangor on the Vaynol Estate overlooking the Snowdonia National Park, Kaya is a festival of music, youth, diversity and culture.
WHAT'S ON OVER SPRING BANK HOLIDAY IN SNOWDONIA AND ON THE NORTH WALES COAST
Bring your Boots to Bodnant Garden on 23 May, a fantastic opportunity to experience life as a gardener and work on real tasks alongside Bodnant’s team – and pick up some great tips throughout the day!
Children’s Trail Week runs at Bodnant Garden from 25-31 May, with Storytelling on 25 May & 1 June. There’s Music in the Pin Mill on the 26th and Poem Open Day on the 28th.
An Antiques & Collectors Fair will be held at St Mary’s Church, Betws-y-Coed on 23 May and at Porthmadog Arts Centre on the 27th.
Half term holiday is Love your Zoo Week at the Welsh Mountain Zoo, when you can show the animals just you much you care! There’ll be a treasure trail, keeper talks, craft activities and more from 25 May-2 June.
A Celtic Spring Fayre takes place from 25-27 May with a wide selection of food, crafts & gifts in marquees and cabins along Conwy Quay.
And Conwy Farmers Market, full of farm and local quality produce, is on 29 May at RSPB Conwy.
Plenty going on at GreenWood Forest Park near Caernarfon throughout the week, with donkey rides, face painting, Ricardo’s Pirate Show and Howard the Magician. There’s a Circus Skills Workshop on 26 & 27 May, Pyro Art in the craft area of the Park from 27-31 May, Smarty Marty’s Kiddies Challenge on 29 & 30 May and the children’s play Puck of Pooks Hill on the 30th.
The Welsh Highland Heritage Railway offers weekend fun with the Dragons on 25 & 26 May; Steam and Song on the 29th, an evening of traditional Welsh music sung by a local male voice choir; and a Teddy Bears Picnic on 1 & 2 June – with a prize if you find the bears hiding in the engine shed!
Penrhyn Castle at Bangor runs its Wild in the Wood Club from 28-30 May, a woodland play scheme where children can escape the virtual world and reconnect with the wonders of nature in a fun, safe environment.
There’s a Saturday wildlife walk at RSPB Conwy on 25 May & 1 June, a guided walk with friendly and knowledgeable volunteers to learn more about our birds and wildlife. And Wildlife Explorers Group, also on the 1st, for 8-12 year olds.
The Wise Woman and the Surgeon at Plas Mawr in Conwy explores the differences between Tudor surgical treatments and folk medicine. Experience the weird and wonderful on 1 & 2 June, see authentic replica surgical instruments and learn all about medicinal herbs and remedies.
And athletic types might fancy the Abersoch 10k on 1 June or the Bangor 10k on the 2nd!
LLANDUDNO VICTORIAN EXTRAVAGANZA - 4 TO 6 JUNE 2013
From Tuesday 4 to Thursday 6 June, this Victorian Extravaganza at Llandudno features a street fair, old time fair rides, steam engines, street parades at 12 noon each day and entertainers - visitors and locals will be dressing up in Victorian costume!
THREE CASTLES WELSH CLASSIC TRIAL AT LLANDUDNO PROMENADE - 5 TO 8 JUNE
The Three Castles Welsh Classic Trial from Wednesday 5 June to Saturday 8 June is above all an enjoyable classic car event for everyone, be they expert or tyro, in a vintage Bentley or a ‘70s sports car. The entry is drawn from all over the UK, Europe and further afield - most years there have been entrants from Norway, the USA and even Australia and New Zealand.
CRICCIETH FESTIVAL - 15 TO 23 JUNE 2013
BBC broadcaster Huw Edwards will give the David Lloyd George Memorial Lecture at the Criccieth Festival which includes a spectacular array of musical performances ranging from choirs to jazz; the dates are Saturday 15 June to Sunday 23 June.
Events include an evening of Welsh entertainment on Saturday 15 June, choirs on the 16th, World Voices Community choir on the 19th, Huw Edwards on Thursday 20th plus a jazz night at Cadwalader's, Ensemble Cymru on the 21st and Calan in concert on the 22nd - 5 young musicians giving a fresh and vibrant sound to traditional Welsh music.
NORTH WALES JUNE EVENTS FOR VISITORS IN SNOWDONIA AND THE LLEYN PENINSULA
The Wise Woman and the Surgeon at Plas Mawr in Conwy explores the differences between Tudor surgical treatments and folk medicine on 1 & 2 June. Love your Zoo Week runs at the Welsh Mountain Zoo until 2 June, with treasure trails, keeper talks and craft activities.
And the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway invites you on a Teddy Bears Picnic on 1 & 2 June – with a prize if you find the bears hiding in the engine shed! At Trefriw Woollen Mill see how raw wool is spun on a spinning wheel at a Handspinning Demonstration from 4-6 June.
A variety of events at Bodnant Garden include a Walk with a Gardener on 4 June, Tai Chi on the lawn at noon on 6 June, Storytelling for Children on the 8th, Music in the Pin Mill on the 9th and a Breakfast Walk on 13 June. And there’s Late Opening at Bodnant every Wednesday in June until 8pm.
Llandudno Promenade provides the superb welcoming base for the Three Castles Welsh Classic Trial, an enjoyable classic car event for everyone with the action taking place over four days from 5-8 June.
Music at Bangor concludes for the season at the University’s Prichard Jones Hall with a Summer Gala Concert on 7 June.
At Bodelwyddan Castle until 14 July, Quentin Blake: As Large as Life features Blake’s illustrations for public spaces as he addresses important social and healthcare issues in his art.
One of the summer’s best days out can be enjoyed at Bodelwyddan on 22 & 23 June at the BASC Annual Country Fair, with excellent countryside displays, exhibitions and a host of activities including great shopping and hands-on fun for the children. As something of a contrast, a Victorian Séance will be held at the Castle on 28 June.
Saturday wildlife walks continue throughout June at RSPB Conwy, a guided walk with friendly and knowledgeable volunteers to learn more about our birds and wildlife. And Conwy Farmers Market is held at the RSPB on 26 June, with farm and locally produced quality produce.
Family fun at GreenWood Forest Park near Caernarfon on weekends in June, with donkey rides, face painting, Ricardo’s Pirate Show and Howard the Magician. Britain’s most acclaimed matinee show returns to Venue Cymru on 17 June - We’ll Meet Again is perfect for nostalgia lovers.
Sporting enthusiasts might be interested in the Welsh Open Seniors’ Championship at Abergele Golf Club from 25-27 June, set in Abergele’s 18-hole seaview parkland course. Or the Llandudno Sea Triathlon on the 29th, incorporating a thrilling sea swim, challenging cycle around the Great Orme and a run along the Victorian Promenade and over Little Orme.
CONWY'S WALKING WEEK - 3 TO 10 JULY
Discover Conwy's beautiful countryside on foot, with this week (Wednesday 3rd to Wednesday 10th July) of themed walks suitable for varying abilities - from an easy stroll to a really hard hike.
NORTH WALES BLUEGRASS MUSIC FESTIVAL, CONWY - 4 TO 7 JULY 2013
Four days of exciting, hard driving, brilliant Bluegrass music concerts in the Civic Hall, Conwy and marquees on the Festival site with top international bands from America, the Czech Republic and all over Britain. Workshops for guitar, bluegrass banjo, fiddle, dobro, and mandolin plus pickin' sessions on the field, Appalachian dance teams displays and music stalls. The dates for the North Wales Bluegrass Music Festival are Thursday 4 to Sunday 7 July.
WAKESTOCK AT ABERSOCH - 5 TO 7 JULY
The relentless Wakestock event promises that 2013 is going to be bigger and better than ever! The best wake boarders, an awesome music line-up and a stunning location for this event which runs from Friday 5 Jul to Sunday 7 July.
INTERNATIONAL SNOWDON RACE - 20 JULY
The International Snowdon Race on Saturday 20 July is one of Europe’s toughest endurance challenges – a 10 mile race from the lakeside at Llyn Padarn, Llanberis, up Snowdon and then back down.
CONWY CLASSICAL MUSIC FESTIVAL - 21 TO 27 JULY 2013
A celebration of classical music to be held at St Mary's Church in the centre of Conwy from Sunday 21 July to Saturday 27 July with lunchtime and evening concerts featuring prominent musicians from Wales and beyond.
NORTH WALES BOAT SHOW - 24 TO 28 JULY 2013
The North Wales Boat Show is a celebratory festival of all water-based activities and is unique to the region with a catchment area that covers not only all of North Wales but also the North West, the Isle of Man and Ireland. Taking place at Conwy Harbour, the dates are Wednesday 24th to Sunday 28th July.
COLWYN BAY BOWLING FESTIVAL - 28 JULY TO 3 AUGUST 2013
A weeklong festival of Crown Green bowling , held at Eirias Park, Colwyn Bay and various other greens within the county ; open to visitors and local bowlers, it includes different competitions with relevant prize money including a junior competition. The Festival runs from Sunday 28 July to Saturday 3 August.
CONWY RIVER FESTIVAL - 21 TO 28 AUGUST 2013
Conwy Harbour is the venue for this festival of watersports and sailing with extensive on shore activities, entertainment and events - Wednesday 21 to Wednesday 28 August.
SNOWDONIA MARATHON ERYRI - 26 OCTOBER
Road runners looking to take on the demands of the most scenic marathon in the UK will need to book quickly to participate in the Snowdonia Marathon Eryri, which takes places this year on Saturday 26 October. The spectacular event was first held in 1982 as a dramatic alternative to the many city and town races and is now seen as one of the premier marathons in the UK.
NORTH WALES CHORAL FESTIVAL - 8 TO 10 NOVEMBER 2013
The North Wales Choral Festival is considered one of the largest choral competitions in Wales; it will be at Venue Cymru, Llandudno from Friday 8 to Sunday 10November. The Friday sees North Wales Schools battle it out and a celebrity Guest concert will take place in the evening. Saturday will see the Male voice, Ladies and Youth sections followed by the Festival's very own choirs performing in concert in the evening. The Sunday hosts the Mixed and glittering barbershop categories.
WALES RALLY GB IN NORTH WALES - 14 TO 17 NOVEMBER 2013
The Wales Rally GB 2013 will take place from Thursday 14th to Sunday 17th November will have a new base alongside the Toyota Engine Plant in Deeside. The start ceremony on Thursday 14 November will be in Conwy and in the evening there will be two stages in Snowdonia just to the north and south of Betws-y-Coed. These stages are at Gwydyr (which was last used in the 1960s) and Penmachno and they will also feature again on the Sunday.
On Sunday 17th, the schedule also includes a Spectator Stage in North Wales and the final stage of the rally will be around the spectacular Great Orme early in the afternoon. The finishing line celebrations will take place in Llandudno.
BETWS-Y-COED CHRISTMAS - 30 NOVEMBER & 1 DECEMBER 2013
On Saturday 30 November and Sunday 1December, the village of Betws-y-Coed, the gateway to Snowdonia will be coming alive to celebrate Christmas in style. There’ll be entertainment for all the family, Father Christmas, a candlelit lantern procession, seasonal music, fireworks and a Santa Dash, along with late night opening in Betws-y-Coed’s unique collection of independent shops and galleries. Seasonal refreshments will be available at cafés, restaurants, delis, and bakeries all round the village.
