Summer Holidays are here! Plus, Riverside Festival, National Paralympic Day, World Croquet Championships and Newstead Abbey Food and Drink Festival!

Summer Holiday special! 

If you've got young kids, they'll be breaking up from school this week or next. Take a look at our ideas on how to entertain them in the next few weeks! 

• Kids go FREE at Nottingham Castle with a paying adult
• Take them to the seaside at the Nottingham Beach
• FREE family activities at Nottingham Contemporary
• School's Out holiday activities for just £1 a day
• Parklives FREE activities at your local park

 >>Visit our What's On site for lots more ideas

The Beach is back!  23 July - 1 September It wouldn't be summer without a trip to the seaside, and we've brought the seaside to the city! The Beach is packed with entertainment for the whole family plus all the traditional rides and games of the seaside for 2015. Enjoy the sandy beach, paddle in the swimming pool, and enjoy a ride on one of the beach rides. Plus, enjoy the FREE live music and entertainment, plus food and drink at the beach bar. This year the beach will be a completely smoke free event. >>Find out more

Nottinghamshire Pride returns! Saturday 25 July   Unfurl your rainbow flag and show your support! Watch the march - setting off from Castlegate at 11.30am Music, stalls and performances from 12noon in Lace Market Square >>Find out more

National Paralympic Day Event

Saturday 25 July on Smithy Row

Looking for a free family day out? Head down to National Paralympic Day at Smithy Row on Saturday 25 July 10am – 5pm where you can try a range of Paralympic sports and meet Paralympians plus our special guest Mandeville the Paralympic mascot!

>>Find out more

Women's Croquet World Championships Highfields Park 25 July - 1 August The world's top women players are preparing to head to Nottingham for the World Championships! Don't miss your chance to watch this growing sport at Highfields Park. FREE entry and FREE parking (in car park of Hockey Club, opposite). >>Find out more

BMI The Park Hospital Riverside Festival

Friday 31 July - Sunday 2 August

Don't miss summer's biggest and best FREE festival in Nottingham! Join us at the Victoria Embankment for three days of fun, live music and things to do. There's a huge array of fun street theatre and entertainers to amuse kids and adults alike, plus music from fantastic acts including local up-and-comers Lacey, folksinger of the year 2015 nominee Jez Lowe, and jazz on the Northbank Stage.

>>Find out more and see stage times

The Wiz at Nottingham Lakeside Arts

Until Saturday 25 July

Join Lakeside on a uniquely Nottingham yellow brick road to meet Scarecrow, Dorothy, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion in this musical sensation. The world-famous story of Oz is being relocated to downtown Nottingham in the early 70s, when Northern Soul was the greatest dance, music and style craze in the land.

Grab your ruby sneakers, polish off those dance moves, click your heels three times and enjoy The Wizard of Oz as you have never seen it before.

>>Book your tickets now

Portugese Supper Club comes to Nottingham!

Enjoy a taste of Portugal here in the East Midlands at an intimate supper club in Sherwood. The hosts will be serving up a fabulous four course (+ treats) menu of Portuguese delicacies and delights - their favourite foods and recipes from 20 years of visiting the Algarve.

>>£25 per person. Find out more and book

Register for the Marie Curie 10k Walk to Remember

Wollaton Park on Saturday 22 August 7pm - 10pm

Join us for an evening 10k walk your family and friends at Wollaton Hall in Nottingham this summer to remember someone close to you and raise money to care for more people living with a terminal illness. Journey past the serene lake and watch as the sun sets over the beautiful parkland. On completion relax with fellow walkers to enjoy your picnic, or delicious hot food available to buy at the event. 

After completing the walk, settle down and enjoy the festival-like celebrations with live music, entertainment and a fire juggling performance at 10pm. This coincides with the time many Marie Curie Nurses start their night shift, providing care to people with terminal illnesses and their families in their own homes.

>>Find out more and register

NEW exhibition at Newstead Abbey The Dreaming House; Art Textiles at Newstead: 18 July – 27 September  Turner Prize-winning artist Grayson Perry’s Coming Out Dress, a flamboyant party dress made for his alter-ego Claire, takes centre stage in the elaborately-decorated Great Drawing Room >>Find out more

The Grand Tour walks at Nottingham Castle and Newstead Abbey

To celebrate The Grand Tour art exhibition (now on at Nottingham Contemporary and other venues), artist Alison Lloyd has created a series of Grand Tour Walks, offering fresh perspectives on the collections, architecture and landscape of Nottingham Castle and Newstead Abbey. 

Walks are £5 per person at the Castle, and £7 at Newstead (including parking).

>>Find out more and book

More events:

• until 31 July: Dinosaurs at Wollaton Park
• 22 & 23 July: Twelfth Night at Nottingham Castle
• 24 July: A Night at Wollaton Hall
• 24 & 25 July: Much Ado about Nothing at Nottingham Castle
• 25 July: Woodthorpe Grange Park heritage walk
• 25 July: Gardening crafternoon at Debbie Bryan
• 25 July: Terror Tour at the Galleries of Justice Museum
• 26 July: Twelfth Night at Newstead Abbey

with friends, family and colleagues
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