Worcester is getting ready for a weekend like no other – and the Mayor is encouraging everyone to come along and have a fantastic time.
The big weekend is 16-17 September, when a packed schedule will see the Worcester City Runs, the Worcester Music Festival and the Worcester Paint Festival all take place, plus the opening of a new exhibition at the City Art Gallery and a special event at the Museum of Royal Worcester.
The Mayor, Councillor Louis Stephen, said: "There really is something for everyone in Worcester over our big weekend of 16-17 September. You can cheer on the amazing runners in the annual 10k and half-marathon runs, admire the amazing work of the artists in action for the paint festival and enjoy an incredible range of live music at venues across the city."
The Worcester City Runs programme starts on Saturday with Paula Radcliffe's Families on Track event at Worcester Racecourse, offering a day of fitness fun for all the family. And then Sunday sees thousands of runners pounding the city's streets for the 10k and half-marathon events. Find out more at on the Worcester City Runs website.
The Croft Road and Cornmarket car parks will be closed 15-17 September to accommodate the City Runs, and some roads will be closed on Sunday morning. Full details are on the road closures page.
Meanwhile, the Worcester Paint Festival will see street, mural and graffiti artists creating colourful new works at 16 different locations across the city, all with the owners' permission. A free map of all the Paint Festival sites can be picked up at the Tourist Information Centre at the Guildhall, the City Art Gallery, and the festival HQ in Crowngate Shopping Centre. More information is available at the Worcester Paint festival website.
In partnership with the Paint Festival, the Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum in Foregate St opens its new exhibition Paint The Streets over the weekend, showing the work of Worcester street artists alongside big names in street art such as Goldie, Banksy and Inkie. The Art Gallery is changing its opening hours for the weekend, with visitors being welcomed both days from 10.30am to 4.30pm. Get the full details at the Museums Worcestershire website.
Worcester Music Festival kicks off on Friday 15 September, running across the weekend with a packed programme of more than 200 free performances at over 20 city venues, covering an incredible range of genres from rock, ska and thrash to reggae, jazz and hip hop. Check out the full line-up at the Worcester Music Festival website.
On top of all that, there's also a special event at the Museum of Royal Worcester running 11am-3pm on Saturday to unveil a new teapot sculpture and celebrate the city's porcelain legacy.
"There's rarely been such a packed programme of fun for all the family in Worcester," says the Mayor. "I'll be going along to as many events as I can and I'm looking forward to seeing hundreds of happy faces of all ages."
