North East Lincolnshire Council has released the jam-packed schedule for this year’s Armed Forces weekend celebrations in Cleethorpes from the 28th to the 30th of June.
North East Lincolnshire Armed Forces Weekend is one of the largest free events on the east coast of the UK, with thousands of visitors descending on the resort town to honour servicemen and servicewomen of the past and present.
Events will be taking place from Sea Road through to the Boating Lake, spanning the length of the seafront, and include notable celebrations like the now-resurrected Community Carnival running on Friday night under the name of the Armed Forces Community Carnival.
To mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, there will be displays and activities at the Boating Lake Paddock throughout the weekend, with groups commemorating this momentous event during WW2.
The fantastic armed forces events team, which has successfully staged events here in Cleethorpes over the last decade, has organised for a number of local dance groups and bands to stage performances near the Armed Forces Memorial Gate on Alexandra Road throughout the weekend. Some examples include a group from the Clifton dance academy as well as the All for One choir, which consists of over 100 people.
For those wondering when the main event is occurring, look no further. On Saturday afternoon, the famous Armed Forces Day parade will march through Cleethorpes with members of the armed forces, veterans, and cadet forces, starting from Grant Street before continuing along Alexandra Road.
Following on from that, there will be an evening sunset ceremony on Saturday evening, including cadets from the Sea Cadets and their band, where a march of the standards will ensue before the Union Flag is lowered at Remembrance Gate.
Also during the day on Saturday, there will be numerous entertainment events in the skies, including the widely-revered Red Arrows, who will be marking their 60th anniversary alongside the RAF Typhoon and RAF Tutor aircraft. Towards the end of Saturday, there will be more eyes drawn towards the skies when the fireworks displays are set to return this year. Spectators will be able to observe this spectacle from near Ross Castle.
Speaking ahead of the celebrations, Alex Baxter, Managing Director of the Armed Forces Major Events Team, said: “This is the biggest, free event on the east coast held to thank our armed forces personnel, past and present, for their service to our country and their support to civilian life. We are a small group of volunteers who organise the weekend, and it takes almost a year of planning, but it’s always a fabulous weekend in the resort.”
Here’s a quick guide to key events across the weekend, as provided by the Council:
Friday, 28th June
- 12pm – Events start.
- 6pm – Carnival parade will start from the High Street
- Entertainment at Remembrance gate
- Markets and activities across the whole resort
Saturday, 29th June
- 10am – Events start and area opens.
- 11:30am – 11:50am – WW2 D-Day display at the Boating Lake Paddock
- 12:45pm – 12:55pm – RAF Typhoon display
- 1:45pm – 2:10pm – Armed Forces Day parade, setting off from Grant Street
- 2:10pm – All For One Choir performing on the entertainment stage
- 2:50pm – 3pm – RAF Tutor display
- 3:20pm – 3:40pm – WW2 D-Day display at the Boating Lake Paddock
- 4:20pm – 4:45pm – Red Arrows 60th Anniversary display
- 6:30pm – 6:55pm – Sunset Parade
- 7pm – 7:05pm – lowering of the Union Flag at Remembrance Gate
- 7:05pm – 10:30pm – entertainment on stage
- 10:30pm – 10:50pm – firework display
Sunday, 30th June
- 11am – Events start and area opens
- 11:30am – 11:50am – WW2 D-Day display at the Boating Lake Paddock
- 1:30pm – 1:50pm – WW2 D-Day display at the Boating Lake Paddock
- 3:30pm – 3:50pm – WW2 D-Day display at the Boating Lake Paddock
- 3:30pm – 3:40pm – RAF Tutor display
- 4:30pm – 4:40pm – RAF Typhoon display
(Images: Media News GNP / Submitted)
