Hooray, we’ve reached the first Bank Holiday weekend since the New Year and feeling grateful for some time off doesn’t even cut it. With blossom on the trees, daffodils springing up here, there and everywhere and a sense of optimism in the air, the Easter Bank Holiday is often the first opportunity of the year when grabbing every picnic option insight in Tesco feels like a viable long weekend activity. Whether your calendar is looking more like bottomless brunch and Prosecco on ice at all times, a wander around a local food market with your parents, an Easter egg hunt with the kids, or a mixture of all of the above, keep scrolling for 10 long weekend events around the U.K to add something different to the first normal Easter we’ve seen in two years. Thank fudge for that!
Holkham Hall Food, Drink and Gifts Market
📍Holkham Hall, Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk, NR23 1AB
Any excuse for a day dedicated to enjoying delicious artisanal food and drinks certainly has our ears pricking up, and what better location than the deliciously beautiful setting of Holkham Hall, Norfolk. From homemade jams, chutneys and cheeses to fresh bread, beers, ciders and spirits as well as gifts and crafts from some of the region’s most talented makers, you’ll be spoilt for choice in where to drop your £££ first. Including businesses like Truckle Cheese (drool worthy bloomer cheese toasties), Sin Bin (indulgent milkshakes and waffles), Duck Truck (Aromatic crispy duck wraps) and Phat Khao for Thai street food- arrive hungry, and prepare to be rolled back to the car. Running across the entire Bank Holiday weekend- Fri 15th- Sun 17th April 2022- entry for adults is £2 and £1 for children making it perfect for the whole family to attend without breaking the bank.
Great Missenden Food Festival
📍Show Field, Off A413, Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire HP16 9AE
A normal Easter for the first time in two years- what better time to pack every activity possible into one weekend?! Wine tasting, cheese sampling, pottery, live music, street food, an Easter egg hunt for the little ones, a designated charcuterie board area (say no more) and optional weekend camping- we’re sold! The Great Missenden Food Festival is a one-stop-shop for both couples, friends and families alike, whether you fancy taking part in a plant based cooking workshop, a wander around the stalls of local sellers or even a unique murder mystery afternoon tea with celebrity chef Rosemary Shrager, there’s nothing short of something for everyone here. Purchase tickets in advance for a reduced price, with adults gaining entry for £7, seniors for £6, and children under 16 for free. For more information about admission and purchasing on the day, head to the official festival homepage.
Sussex Downs Wine Pairing and Meal: Ridgeview Vineyard
📍Ridgeview Wine Estate, Ditchling Common, Fragbarrow Lane BN6 8TP
Seeking a more adult exclusive experience? Celebrate Easter with a tour of the beautiful Ridgeview Vineyard in the Sussex South Downs followed by a guided tasting with the vineyard’s top wine experts- anyone else drooling at the thought? Ridgeview is one of the only vineyards in England to focus solely on producing sparkling wines from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grape varieties, and have been doing so for over 25 years! Discover the beauty of the vineyard with Spring fully in swing and enjoy the luxury of a guided food and wine tasting with canapes carefully selected to match the three wines. Ninety minutes of pure bliss if you ask us! Venture home with another bottle under your arm and consider your Easter weekend complete.
Easter ‘House Your Weekend’ DJ Event, Chelsea, London
📍The Chelsea Lodge Restaurant and Bar, 562 King’s Road, London, SW6 2DZ
Seeking a more upbeat bank holiday? Get yourself down to The Chelsea Lodge for their House Your Weekend event, featuring two floors of house music with over 300 other party lovers. Hangover and time of your life both guaranteed. The event also has the option to book a pre-drinks ticket, giving you 90 minutes of free flowing prosecco and cocktails, plus sharing platters of food to help soak it up if you have one too many of the aforementioned cocktails. With a mix of tropical, disco, deep and techno house, there’s something for everyone feeling in the mood to finally celebrate an Easter out of lockdown. Set against flower walls, and with perfect photo opportunities in the dreamy neon-lit pink bathroom, grab an early bird ticket for as little as £11 and shimmy the night away.
Easter Monday Yoga and Vegan Supper Club, Manchester
📍 Space at the Mill, Duke Street, Manchester, M3 4NF
Anddd let’s slow things down. A long weekend can be the ultimate excuse to purposefully slow down, taking time for some intentional breaths and offering a reset to your nervous system. If taking a dip out of normal life for a full three hours sounds like exactly what your mind and body are calling for this Easter, why not try out Sophie-Rae Martyn’s yoga masterclass, followed by an Ayurvedic inspired supper club. Find yourself in a state of deep peace following the asana practice and meditation, ready to enjoy an Ayurvedic (a healing lifestyle focused on the promotion of positive health through the balance of mind, body, and environment) inspired plant-based thali meal, made by vegan chef Aaron Reilly. Think big flavours and comfort in a bowl.
Finish the session with a warming cup of chai and some Easter chocolate and consider yourself reset.
The Drag Brunch Of Dreams, Bristol
📍The Cloak & Dagger, 182-184 Cheltenham Road, Bristol, United Kingdom
What is a Bank Holiday without brunch, and this eggstravagant affair at Bristol’s Cloak and Dagger is one you won’t forget in a hurry. With a lineup of some of the city’s best performers, along with a complimentary glass of bubbly, games and activities galore, and of course a delicious brunch to enjoy with your besties, consider your Saturday plans secured.
Located on Gloucester Road- known locally as Bristol’s Indie Shopping District- the Cloak and Dagger makes the perfect spot to then continue your bank holiday browsing the local independent shops, or lap up the excuse to let your hair down and continue popping a Prosecco or two with your ride or die pals. The event is pay-what-you-can, making it a more accessible option for your Easter weekend, with the venue also raising funds for Outspace- a new queer hub in the heart of Old Market- which you can opt to donate to when purchasing your tickets. Get ready to let your hair down!
Kew Gardens and a Perfectly Springtime Picnic, Richmond
📍Kew, Richmond, London, TW9 3AE
One for all the family and a celebration of the joy that is the U.K in spring, Kew Gardens makes for the perfect picnic and sharing board spot with something for all ages to enjoy. From the Rose Garden in which you can lap up views of the Palm House amongst beds of hundreds of roses, to the Mediterranean Garden in which you can spread out a picnic blanket amongst fragrant shrubs of lavender and rosemary, Kew offers the very best of the outdoors in one beautiful location.
If you’re lucky you’ll catch sight of some of the beautiful blossoms in bloom around the grounds, as well as seasonal superstars like daffodils, and crocuses which have exploded in colourful bursts as the sun begins to shine that bit brighter. If preparing your own picnic isn’t your thing, there are plenty of options for food and drinks to purchase from spots including The Botanical Brasserie, Orangery restaurant and new Family Kitchen offering everything from stone baked pizza to an ice cream servery. Sign us up!
Iford Manor Gardens and Cafe, Wiltshire
📍Iford Manor, nr. Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, BA15 2BA
If a long weekend wouldn’t be complete without a stately home and opportunity to breathe in some fresh, country air then consider a trip to Iford Manor a rite of passage this bank holiday. Set within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, their Grade 1 registered garden is a beautiful mix of architecture and the rural valley views, described as ‘food for the soul’ and comparable to ‘stepping into another world’- anyone else itching to visit ASAP? Today’s owners, the Cartwright-Hignett family, have lovingly restored the garden (once thought ‘lost’ after WW2) continuing to develop it, and finish off the beautiful Oriental Garden area. If you fancy stretching your legs, there are three miles of footpaths across the estate that can be enjoyed all year round, allowing you to get back to nature and soak in the natural, unspoilt beauty.
The Iford Manor cafe is normally closed on Mondays, however will be open from 11am-4pm this Bank Holiday Monday to offer a welcome bite to eat after enjoying all that the estate has to offer. Now all that’s left to decide is which order to spread your jam and cream onto your scone…
Farnham Community Farm’s Easter Extravaganza
📍 Farnham Community Farm, Tongham Road, Runfold, GU10 1PH.
Another outdoorsy affair, this time for adults and children alike, Farnham Community Farm is running an Easter Extravaganza event welcoming members of the community to experience the ins and outs of the veg growing world. With activities including an easter egg hunt, beehive tours, honey tasting, cookie decorating and education about the farm and seasonal growing, it makes for the perfect day out for those seeking a way to keep little ones entertained over a long weekend. Food is available in the form of home cooked lunches, including cakes and pizza cooked in the farm’s very own pizza oven!
Entry is donate-what-you-feel starting at £1, however after being hit hard by the impact of Storm Eunice, the farm are hoping to raise funds to offset the costs they have faced after an already difficult two years. Head down from 11am-3pm on Bank Holiday Monday to support this wonderful cause.
Beaulieu River Canoeing and Easter Egg Hunt, Hampshire
📍Bailey’s Hard, Bailey’s Hard Lane, Beaulieu, Hampshire, SO42 7YF
Based in the beautiful New Forest? 1) we are jealous and 2) your Easter Bank Holiday just got seriously more fun. Enjoy a guided paddle along the Beaulieu River in Canadian style canoes, taking in the beautiful scenery before disembarking with kids in tow for an Easter egg hunt in seriously scenic surroundings. This two hour affair is suitable for all ages and with no experience required, you can rest assured that there’s nothing to prepare for this escape into nature. Out of office mode, 100% activated.
