THREE days of events celebrating a milestone in York’s history will begin tomorrow – with everything from music and markets to fun on the river.

Charter Weekend will commemorate exactly 800 years since the city was granted its Royal Charter by King John on July 9, 1212, and will be one of the centrepieces of the York 800 celebrations. Here is your at-a-glance guide to the programme of events.

TOMORROW

• A flotilla of hundreds of boats will take to the River Ouse between 1pm and 4.30pm to launch the Festival Of The Rivers. The entertainment begins at 11am in Tower Gardens with music, Punch and Judy stalls, face-painting and other activities, which run until 5pm. The flotilla can be seen from any safe vantage point between Naburn Lock and Clifton Ings. YorkBoat is lending its biggest boat, the Captain James Cook, for the flotilla.

• Choirs will be singing at King’s Staith, near Ouse Bridge, at 1pm to officially launch the flotilla and “flash choirs” will be springing up throughout the city centre at cafes, shops and visitor attractions from 2pm to 5pm.

• The MOR Music Festival will be held in Parliament Street from 10.30am until midnight, with 800 minutes of live music. Full details can be found at mormusic.co.uk

• There will be the chance to meet “King John”, in full regalia and ready to greet his “subjects”, at Clifford’s Tower between 11am and 5pm, with normal admission prices applying.

• York Minster tower trips will be running from 9.30am to 5pm plus the York Minster 8 Wonders Tour, which looks at how the number eight has shaped the historic cathedral over the last 800 years and its treasures and curiosities.

• Friends of York Walls will stage a residents fair around the Red Tower, from noon to 4pm.

SUNDAY

• Dragon Boat Races, one of the annual highlights of the Festival Of The Rivers, take place between Scarborough Bridge and Lendal Bridge from 10am to 4pm.

• The Simply Vintage Market, in Parliament Street, with everything from jewellery and furniture to vinyl, hair makeovers and clothing, 10am -5pm. It will also include a display of vintage Lambretta motor scooters.

• Choral evensong at the Minster at 4pm.

MONDAY

• The York 800 market in Parliament Street will be open between 10am and 6.15pm, featuring decorated stalls and traders in celebratory attire.

• Parliament Street will also be the venue for the York 800 Cake Giveaway, with free tea and cakes made by York College students from 3pm until they have all gone.

• Clifford’s Tower will be opening late until 9pm, with normal admission prices applying.

• The Ebor Vox - meaning The Voice of York - event when choirs will walk from the Minster at 6pm, accompanied by drummers. Hundreds of singers who are taking part will make their way through the city centre to arrive at the Eye of York at 6.30pm, where they will be joined by schoolchildren, giant puppets, dancers and the Shepherd Group Brass Band.

They will perform ‘This York’, written by Benjamin Till and directed by Stephen Burke, with the event finishing at about 8pm.

Full details of the weekend’s events can be found at york800.com and york.gov.uk

Coun Sonja Crisp, the cabinet member for leisure, culture and tourism, said: “This weekend has been 800 years in the making and I am really looking forward to a celebration across the city centre of the beginnings of local democracy in York, which began with the signing of the charter all those centuries ago.”