Thousands enjoy York Residents Festival (From York Press)

Updated: THOUSANDS of York people enjoyed the city’s visitor attractions as part of the annual Residents Festival.

The two-day event, organised by Visit York, offers free or discounted admission to a wide range of attractions and venues across York and the surrounding area, to showcase the city’s tourist appeal and to thank all residents of the city who welcome seven million tourists each year.

At the Yorkshire Museum on Saturday, hundreds of people took part in workshops, including mask making, prop making, and stone masonry.

In Parliament Street, the Minster FM team entertained shoppers with music and games, while in St Helen’s Square, a special surprise event left pedestrians thinking they had stepped into a musical.

At 11am on Saturday, and at other points over the weekend, a group of students from York College held a “Flashmob” event, and performed a medieval dance to music, while bemused shoppers looked on. The dance was part of a partnership between the college and the Yorkshire Museum, and in the spirit of the Mystery Plays, with the intention of encouraging residents to get involved as volunteers with this summer’s event.

Elsewhere, the Friends of York Walls offered access to Fishergate Postern, which they are working to restore and reopen, and various other business and city-centre churches offered talks and tours.

Last year, 30,000 people took part in the festival, and the bright weather meant that figure was expected to be equalled or surpassed this weekend, with many families turning out on yesterday for a free ride on one of the city’s latest attractions, the Wheel of York. Kay Watkins, of Holgate, has attended the festival for the last five years, but also volunteered as a steward this year. She said: “I had a two-and-a-half hour wait for the York Wheel, but it was definitely worth it.

“I’ve experienced the festival as a resident and a volunteer for the first time this year, and it’s been very nice and very busy too.”

Monica Nelson at work at the Yorkshire Museum making a prop for the Mystery Plays as part of the Residents First weekend

The Press - Comment

Festival success

CELEBRATIONS to mark the 800th anniversary of York’s Royal Charter got off to a flying start at the weekend with the city’s annual residents festival offering free admission to many of our world-class attractions.

It was a time to be a tourist at home and a record number of venues took part in an impressive mix of events.

Where else but York could you spend the morning scaling a seven-metre climbing wall and the afternoon getting close to the most important stained-glass window in the country?

York is blessed with many stunning attractions, but being on our doorstep, we often take them for granted. The residents festival reminds us why we should not.