Get your diaries out – here are ten not-to-miss events for all the family to enjoy in 2018
1 Follow in Tim Peake's footprints
British Astronaut Tim Peake orbited the earth almost 3,000 times during the Principia mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Now you can come face to face with the historic piece of engineering that transported him safely back to earth, the Soyuz TMA-19M descent module, which will be landing at National Railway Museum, York. Visitors can enjoy a daily Spacecraft Talk 11am and 3.30pm and children aged over 13 can book tickets for an amazing virtual reality experience: Space Descent VR, narrated by Major Peake himself. Using Samsung Gear VR, they can enjoy a 360-degree look inside the Soyuz capsule and experience the thrill of being an astronaut, retracing Tim’s 400km journey back to Earth from the ISS. Find out more and book your ticket on the NRM's dedicated VR page. At weekends, you can also enjoy a live show, Rocket to Bullet.
What: Tim Peake's Spacecraft
Where: National Railway Museum, York
When: Thursday January 18 to Thursday March 8, 2018, from 10am-5pm
Price: Free. Space Descent VR: £6
More info: nrm.org.uk/soyuz
2 Residents come first
Make sure your York Card is up to date so you can take advantage of York's annual Residents' Festival, giving free entry to lots of top attractions in the city, including Jorvik, York Art Gallery and Fairfax House, pictured, among many others.
What: York Residents' Festival
Where: Various venues
When: Saturday 27 January to Sunday 28 January, 2018
More info: visityork.org/members/opportunities/residentsfestival18.aspx
3 The Vikings are coming!
February sees the return of the ever-popular Jorvik Viking Festival, with a week-long programme of activities. Look out for living history encampments, walks, talks, tours and, of course, dramatic combat performances. For the second year running, Coppergate will be the location for Jorvik's Strongest Viking competition (Saturday, February 17, 10am-12 noon), where contestants will vye for both the title and the public’s adulation.
What: Jorvik Viking Festival
Where: Various venues
When: Monday February 12 to Sunday February 18, 2018
More info: jorvik-viking-festival.co.uk/
4 Hot tickets
If you fancy a family trip to the theatre, there are some great shows to look out for, including Grandad's Island (adapted from Benji Davies’s award-winning book) at the Theatre Royal, and Awful Auntie (based on the David Walliams bestseller) at the Grand Opera House.
What: Grandad's Island!
Where: Theatre Royal studio, York
When: Tuesday February 13 to Saturday February 17, 2018; time: 11am, 1.30pm, (6pm Friday only)
Price: £7-£12
More info: yorktheatreroyal.co.uk
What: Awful Auntie
Where: Grand Opera House, York
When: Wednesday February 14 to Saturday February 17, 2018 (various times)
Price: From £22.50
More info: atgtickets.com/venues/grand-opera-house-york/
5 Captain Cook anniversary
It is 250 years since North Yorkshire explorer Captain Cook's first voyage to the Pacific. As he weighed anchor at Plymouth, what did he take from Whitby? A new exhibition at Captain Cook Memorial Museum, Whitby, will highlight the special character and growing prosperity of the town and examine the unique features which made Whitby one of the major ship-building centres in Britain, and a key centre for training young men for the sea.
Where: Captain Cook Memorial Museum, Whitby
When: Saturday February 10 to Friday March 23, 2018 from 11am-3pm then Saturday March 24 to Sunday November 4, 2018 from 9.45am-5pm
Price: Adult: £5.90; child: £3.50; concession: £5.40; family: £14.50
More info: cookmuseumwhitby.co.uk
6 See TV favourites live on stage
Milkshake! will bring all your child's favourite characters to life in this theatrical show starring Bob the Builder, Little Princess, Noddy, Fireman Sam, among others, as well as two Milkshake! presenters. Audiences will embark on a journey through the world’s favourite fairytales through music, song and stories.
What: Milkshake! Live: The Magic Story Book
Where: Scarborough Spa
When: Thursday February 15, 2018 at noon and 4pm
Price: Adult: £15; under-16s: £13.50; family of four: £52
More info: scarboroughspa.co.uk
7 Sky at night
Take a closer look at the starry night sky with the help of expert astronomers who will be on hand at Byland Abbey to reveal their stargazing secrets and help you use a telescope.
Each stargazing session lasts approximately 1.5 hours, with two sessions per evening.
This event is suitable for children aged eight years and above and the price includes entry to the event and the site as well as a hot drink. Booking is essential.
What: Dark Skies at Byland Abbey
Where: Byland Abbey
When: Saturday February 17, 2018 from 6pm-7.30pm and 7.30pm-9pm
Price: Adult: £3 ( English Heritage member) £6.40 (non-member); child: £2 (member) £4.20 (non-member)
More info: Reservations essential, book online at English Heritage website: english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/byland-abbey/
Or you can purchase your tickets by calling 0370 333 1183 (Monday-Friday 8.30am to 5.30pm; Saturday 9am-5pm). Please note the telephone bookings will close at 3pm the day before the event or 3pm on Friday.
8 All aboard the Paddington express!
Trainspotting film buffs may have clocked Legendary locomotive 60163 Tornado in the new Paddington Bear 2 movie. Now they can get up close with this stunning Peppercorn A1 Pacific class engine which is coming to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway in March. Tickets are available to travel on a return journey from Grosmont to Pickering and back behind this 100mph locomotive (but at a more sedate speed!) through the stunning North York Moors National Park. Pre-booked is essential.
What: 60163 Tornado at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway
When: Saturday March 3, Sunday March 4, Tuesday March 6, Wednesday March 7, Thursday March 8, Saturday March 10 and
Sunday March 11, 2018
Price: Fares from adult: £33, children: £16.50
More info: nymr.co.uk
9 Jurassic Park comes to Jorvik
Move over Vikings – the dinosaurs are coming! Visitors to the Yorkshire Museum can take an epic journey back through 150 million years to discover lost giants and the changing worlds they inhabited. Experience a Jurassic world as the colossal creatures and their surroundings are brought to life using the latest research and ground-breaking technology. Inspect the finest details of an ichthyosaur as its flesh and skin are superimposed over its preserved skeleton and serve a sauropod dinosaur its supper as a virtual reality headset reincarnates the oldest sauropod remains ever found in the UK.
What: Yorkshire’s Jurassic World
Where: Yorkshire Museum
When: Daily from March 24, 2018 from 10am to 5pm
Price: Free for YMT card holders, adult prices from £6.81; children under 16 free with paying adult; 20 per cent discount for York Card holders
More info: yorkshiremuseum.org.uk
10 Beat and the beast
Following the success of La La Land with a live orchestra, Disney film Beauty and the Beast now gets its own musical tour. The hit musical film from 2017 starring Emma Watson as Belle can be enjoyed all over again, this time with a huge orchestra performing the magical score live at York Barbican. A real treat for all film and music lovers.
What: Disney In Concert - Beauty and the Beast
Where: York Barbican
When: Friday April 6, 2018 at 7.30pm
Price: from £44.80
More info: yorkbarbican.co.uk
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