Budget-friendly activities in Suffolk and Norfolk to enjoy this bank holiday weekend
With the last bank holiday weekend this side of Christmas finally here, we have compiled a list of nine fun activities across the region suitable for all ages.
And with the cost of living crisis firmly in mind, we have done our best to source budget-friendly entertainment which is free, cheap or with reduced price tickets.
Read on for inspiration.
1. Our Bury St Edmunds Food and Drink Festival, Sunday and Monday, 10am-5pm, free – www.ourburystedmunds.com/foodanddrinkfestival
Bury town centre is hosting the Our Bury St Edmunds Food and Drink Festival – a free admission two-day event with food and drink treats, displays and family fun – tomorrow and Monday.
Highlights will include the Stoves Cookery Theatre with a programme of displays and demonstrations; a farmers’ market on Angel Hill and dozens of stalls in the town centre.
The festival is organised by the Business Improvement District (BID) organisation for the town.
For families there will be a range of children’s activities, including fairground rides and street entertainment. Giant games and a circus skills workshop will be at arc shopping centre.
2. Mini Monks I-Spy Trail, daily, anytime during Abbey Gardens opening hours – www.abbeyofstedmund1000.co.uk
If you go down to the Abbey Gardens, in Bury, this weekend you are sure of a little surprise, as 27 mini monks are in situ just waiting to be discovered.
The Abbey Ruins' 12th century stone dovecote has welcomed its temporary visitors – ceramic monks – for the Abbey 1000 celebrations.
The little monks, depicting life in the Benedictine Abbey, have been created by Bury-based ceramic artist Deborah Pipe.
The monks feature in the new free Mini Monks I-Spy trail, which is already proving popular with families over the summer holidays, although the monks will be in place until November.
Competition leaflets are available from the tourist information points at the St Edmundsbury Cathedral shop and The Apex and can also be downloaded at www.abbeyofstedmund1000.co.uk
3. Banham Zoo, in Banham, and Africa Alive, in Kessingland, tickets £10 this weekend – https://www.zsea.org/banham and https://www.zsea.org/reserve
With bargain tickets on offer this weekend, it is a good opportunity to visit Banham Zoo or Africa Alive.
Entry to Banham is £10 tomorrow and Monday, while Africa Alive is offering the £10 tickets today.
It is a significant discount on the venues' usual prices and the tickets offer all-day entry – Banham and Africa Alive are both open 9.30am-6pm this weekend.
The zoos are also still offering afternoon tickets from £5 if you are unable to visit this weekend.
We tried and tested the afternoon ticket offer at Banham earlier this month: We enjoyed a budget afternoon trip to Banham Zoo and this is what we thought
4. The Secret Garden, Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, until September 3, tickets from £10.80 – www.theatreroyal.org or call 01284 769505
A classic tale of friendship is re-told with a cast of young people supported by four professional actors at the Theatre Royal over this bank holiday weekend, with performances at 2pm and 7pm today.
The production, which is being co-directed by artistic director Owen Calvert-Lyons and head of creative learning David Whitney, opened last week to positive reviews and rave feedback from audience members: 'Stunning success' as The Secret Garden opens at Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds
5. Brandon Country park summer prize trail, £1, daily until September 6, 10am-4.30pm – https://www.whatsonwestsuffolk.co.uk/whats-on/details.cfm?id=641147&ins=1036609
The summer prize trail continues at Brandon Country Park this bank holiday weekend for the bargain price of £1 per trail sheet.
Booking is not required, simply collect a sheet from the Copper Beech Café and follow the trail – solving clues along the way to find a special word – and then return to the café to collect a prize.
6. Brick Built Moyse's Hall, Bury, 10am-4pm until September 30, entry £6/£5/£4, book at https://www.whatsonwestsuffolk.co.uk/whats-on/details.cfm?id=704347&ins=991470
Following on from the popular Brick City exhibition in 2016 a new display made entirely out of Lego bricks is at Moyse’s Hall Museum this summer – with the museum open throughout the bank holiday weekend.
From the Houses of Parliament to the exploration of space, this touring exhibition by Warren Elsmore features models of famous buildings, monuments and structures made from LEGO bricks.
There is space for building your own models and special events along the way.
Advanced booking is preferred but not essential, check with Moyse’s Hall (01284 706183) on the day for availability.
7. Disco in the Park, Saturday and Sunday, from 2pm, £5 – https://www.whersteadpark.co.uk/upcoming-events
Are you ready to party this bank holiday? Wherstead Park's terrace and gardens are hosting Disco in the Park, with the event featuring a giant tipi, stretch marquee, chill-out seating areas, two licensed bars, pizza truck and live music from resident DJ Charlotte Moss.
Tickets cost £5, which is redeemable against your first drink when you arrive.
You can choose your arrival time and your table will be yours for the duration of the disco.
8. Sutton Hoo, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, free event admission (usual venue admission charges apply) – https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/events/a5d75240-d724-4813-b560-14c6b4889aa1/pages/details
History is coming to life at Sutton Hoo this weekend as the Thegns of Mercia: Anglo-Saxon re-enactment moves in.
Visitors will be able to step back in time more than 1,000 years and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of Anglo-Saxon life during a weekend full of living history.
Talks, live demonstrations and displays of reproduction treasures will be on the agenda all weekend, while craft demonstrations include warrior displays, textile displays, music and weaving.
Standard admission prices are £15 adults, £7.50 children and a family ticket £37.50.
9. Roarrstock at ROARR! Dinosaur Adventure, Saturday day and evening, tickets from £9.95 – https://roarrdinosauradventure.co.uk/events/
Festival fun is at ROARR!, near Norwich, today as Roarrstock takes over the dinosaur-themed park.
Live music, street food, craft activities and chill-out time in the storytelling are additional activities to the usual attractions, which are plentiful and include soft-play, a splash pad, dinosaur trails and more).
Princesses, samba drumming, face painting, storytelling and crafts are on the daytime Roarrstock line-up, while tonight's special evening opening – from 6-9pm – includes cupcake decorating and twilight tours with Dame Dotty.
Evening tickets are selling for £9.95 each (under 90cm free), which is a hefty discount on the usual entry free, although the bottom section of the park (which houses the high ropes and animal garden) will be closed for the evening.
