May in the Lake District is a gorgeous time to visit with the flowers in bloom and an average temperature of 17C/62F. It is also King Charles III’s royal coronation with plenty of events taking place in Cumbria. We provide some suggestions on where to find these celebratory events and also list ones that have already been advertised.
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Coronation Events in the Lake District
With the King’s coronation taking place on Saturday, 6th May, there are sure to be plenty of coronation themed events taking place in the Lake District that weekend. If the Jubilee is anything to go by, we can expect plenty of street parties, picnics, and celebrations in pubs all over the country.
Street Parties
Street Parties are likely to be advertised locally rather than online and may be published on the official Coronation website in time. Neighbours will be banding together to organise street parties with festive union jack flags and bunting decorations, as well as activities and stalls for the families on the street. Many of these are often open to the public either for free or a small fee to help cover the cost of organising the event.
Pubs
Many pubs in the Lake District are likely to stream the royal event live on their television screens, so we would recommend looking for pubs with TV screens if this is something you’re hoping to do and contacting the pub in advance to see whether or not they will be streaming the coronation. The pubs are usually quite festive with decorations and, with everyone watching together with a drink, there is a real sense of community.
Coronation.gov.uk: The Official Coronation Website
You can also visit the official government Coronation Website to find events locally by postcode or to publish one that you are hosting so that it is searchable for others to find.
Published Events in the Lake District
Here are just some of the many events that we’ve come across in the Lake District so far. Please note that some are happening on the Sunday rather than the Saturday, so please refer to the official websites for the exact timing.
If you are hosting an event and wish to include it here, please get in touch via our contact page and we will be happy to add a link for you below. You should also be sure submit your event to the official coronation website.
- Coronation Weekend Celebrations (The Mardale Inn, Bampton)
- A Royal Knees Up (Kendal)
- Picnic in the Park (Fitz Park, Keswick)
- The Kings Coronation 'Jolly' at the Swan (Newby Bridge)
- Coronation Picnic Celebration at Acorn Bank (Penrith)
- Coronation Cream Tea at La’al Ratty Railway (Ravenglass)
- Windermere Manor Hotel Grand Royal Afternoon Tea (Windermere)
- Coronation Day at Royal Windermere Yacht Club (Windermere)
- Coronation Brunch at the Village Inn (Windermere)
- Wetheral Family Fun Day (Windermere)
Walking with the Wounded
Walking with the Wounded is taking place from 12-14 May in Grasmere and supports those who served who are now struggling with mental health issues, unemployment, homelessness, or who are in police custody. The event costs £300 for teams of 3 or 4 with registration closing at the end of April. The event is fantastic for team building as teams must work together to complete events, which range in difficulty and involve distances from 10km to 31km and ascents from 917m to 2,289m. Teams should choose which event is best suited for them to join based on their fitness levels.
Windermere Science Festival
The Windermere Science Festival will be taking place from 13-14 May from 10am-5pm at the Windermere Jetty Museum in LA23 1BN. Tickets for adults cost £9 and tickets for children are £4.50 with discounts for students and free entry for children aged 4 and under. The 2023 exhibit will explore flight, ecology, adventure, and engineering.
Two Day Wilderness Survival Training with Green Man Survival
Green Man Survival are hosting a very useful two-day wilderness survival course from Saturday 6th May to Sunday 7th May. You will learn all about how to make a shelter, build a fire, collecting clean water for drinking, how to forage for food, how to navigate and find your direction from the sun and stars, how to signal another person at night in the woods, what tools to use and how to use them, and briefly go over first aid in the wilderness. Tickets are £215 for the weekend.
May at Muncaster: Sausage Festival & Medieval Muncaster
Muncaster Castle is hosting a Sausage Festival at the beginning of the month from 29th April to 1st May from 10.30am to 5pm each day, which will involve an exciting sausage tasting competition. There will six different sausage makers to sample with vegan sausages also available. All of the tickets also entail entry to the castle, gardens and hawk & owl centre, costing £24 for adults with concessionary rates for children.
Muncaster is also hosting an event called ‘Medieval Muncaster’ toward the opposite end of the month from 27th May to 4th June where you can step back in time and become a king, archer, wizard, fool – or whatever takes your fancy, really. The event will involve various activities, such as archery, warrior skills and much more, costing £21 for adults with different rates available for children.
Hutton-in-the-Forest: Plant & Food Fair & Airfield Walk with Heather
Hutton-in-the-Forest is having a Plant and Food fair on Sunday 14th May, as well as an airfield walk with Heather on Sunday the 28th of May. Get in touch with the venue directly for further details as they are not yet available on their website.
Ten Thousand Daffodils at Lowther Castle
Just when you thought the daffodils in the Lake District were over for the season, the exciting Ten Thousand Daffodils project will launch at Lowther Castle from 24th April until the end of June. This is an art installation of 10,000 ceramic daffodils, similar to the one that was done outside the Tower of London using ceramic poppies. The daffodils are available to purchase, which will then be shipped to you after the installation is over. The money raised will go to a selection of wonderful charities. This will be an incredible sight to see and one that should not be missed.
May Half Term at Walby Farm Park
Walby Farm Park always puts on a great event for half-term, which is taking place from 27th May until 4th June in 2023. You’ll be able to meet baby lambs and other animals, with go-karts, train & tractor rides, trampolines, crazy golf – just to name some of the many activities!
May at Dalemain: Gardening Days, Foraging Course, Fell Pony Show, Carriage Driving Trials
There are plenty of great events happening at Dalemain this May with gardening days starting up again where you can learn all about gardening from Dalemain’s expert gardeners each month. There is also a foraging class taking place on the 5th of May where you can learn all about edible plants and how to safely consume them. On the 13th of May, Fell Pony Society is putting on the Stallion & Colt Show where you’ll be able to learn all about these glorious creatures. And, lastly, there is the North-West Carriage Driving Trials taking place on the 14th of the month.
The Wordsworth Singers Concert
The Wordsworth Singers are a Cumbrian Chamber Choir and they are putting on two concerts in the month of May to celebrate landscape and nature. The first concert will take place on Saturday 20th May at 7:30pm at United Reformed Church in Cockermouth and the second is on Sunday 21st May at 3pm at St Cuthbert’s Church in Carlisle. Tickets for the Saturday are £13 in advance if purchased on their website or £14 on the door the night of the concert. The Sunday concert is free, however, they request donations for St Cuthburt's.