What’s on in York: Residents Festival 2016

Date: Sat 30 and Sun 31 Jan
Venues: Attractions, restaurants and shops across the city
Cost: free with a YorkCard, or York student card

Residents Festivals Logo Celebrating its 21st year, over sixty attractions, eateries and retailers will be on offer for York residents to help cheer up the January blues. 
York residents will once again have the chance to explore what’s on their doorstep free of charge.

Organised by Make It York and sponsored by First, the 2016 event is set to offer free entry to a host of York’s most celebrated attractions, one-off behind-the-scenes access to some of the city’s hidden gems, special events and some fantastic restaurant and retail deals. 

This annual event is organised as a thank you to York’s residents for the warm welcome they give to York’s seven million global visitors each year.

For full listings please visit www.visityork.org/residentsfestival

or pick up a brochure from the Visitor Information Centre-available from early January.

New council events at York Residents’ Festival

City of York Council is flinging open the doors of West Offices and the Mansion House to welcome visitors during York’s Residents’ Festival, sponsored by First, on Saturday 31 January and Sunday 1 February. In addition, Explore York Libraries and Archives will be offering a behind-the-scenes look at its new Archives and Local History Service on Saturday 31 January.

.The Mansion House, home to the Lord Mayors of York since 1732, will be open on Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 3pm. Last year the building welcomed over 1,500 people who enjoyed its magnificent interior throughout the weekend. Residents will be able to see the Caps of Maintenance, worn by the Sword bearer on ceremonial occasions, including the one presented by the Queen during her 2012 visit, as well as a special display of the work of York Camera Club.

On Saturday at West Offices, author and railway historian Dr Bill Fawcett will tell the story of York’s first railway station in an illustrated presentation entitled ‘Still serving the people’. Bill has lectured and published extensively on railway and architectural history, twice receiving the David St. John Thomas award for best transport history book of the year. He has also assisted with the historical background to conservation development strategies for many railway buildings. He is editor of the journal York Historian and is a member of the Railway Heritage Trust advisory panel. His talk will be followed by a tour of the original station hotel, refreshment rooms and train shed canopy – now part of West Offices –and a look around the modern offices of City of York Council
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