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Community Zone set to be full of fun at Saturday’s County Show

This weekend, Newark Showground will welcome thousands of visitors, plus local and regional businesses to the annual county show. While many will be entertained by the wide range of livestock, horses, countryside competitions, local food producers, and craft stalls, there is something a bit different happening in the George Stephenson Exhibition Hall…

Building on the success of last year, the hall will once again become a Community Zone. This time it’s bigger, better, and packed with interactive entertainment for all ages.

Nottinghamshire County Council has brought together local groups and organisations with a huge range of free activities planned to keep all the family entertained while showcasing all the wonderful services our community has to offer.

Councillor Scott Carlton Cabinet Member for Communities and Public Health said: “We are very proud of our services, and the chance to showcase so many of them at the Community Zone at the county show.

“The weather forecast is looking good, setting the scene for a great day celebrating the best of our county.

“We have enjoyed working alongside the showground team to pack the George Stephenson Hall with so many fun activities, which are a great way to learn about the support residents can access both from Nottinghamshire County Council and our community partners."

This is a small selection of attractions – there are lots more organisations to discover.

Scale the heights of the climbing wall with Notts Outdoor for a fun challenge with great views across the showground, and if you are still feeling energetic then maybe test your skills as we approach tennis season with Newark Tennis Club volunteers on the giant inflatable.

Learn all about the brand-new routes around Newark and the Newark All-Rounder Ticket as the team from Nottsbus let you get on board. If you like the mobile travel experience, then the mobile youth service will be showcasing one of its purpose-built youth clubs in a van with games, activities, and advice. 

Come and be ‘Inspired’ by the county Inspire Libraries team with lots of fun games and make-and-take activities, including ‘Silly Selfies’, Windmill making, designing your own bookbench, giant games, badge making and musical instrument experimentation.

Ever wanted to ask about Notts Highways? Find out about works planned near you with our interactive map, and the team from Via East Midlands will be out in force with advice on everything from road safety to electric charging. Young children will enjoy the Bikeability bikes and a little training cycle course. One of the most popular attractions from last year returns - the chance to meet a gritter driver and sit on a gritter.

Those with an interest in the countryside and getting out and about in nature should make a ‘bee’line for the Rights of Way team with a fun beanbag game designed to show you the different routes and walks around our county and the Nottinghamshire Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) wants to know why you love the countryside – come and see if your favourite Notts beauty spots are on the map and dive into the video booth to record your memories of it.

Also returning is another hit from last year. The flooding team will use the augmented reality sandbox so you can see what happens to the water when it rains and how to manage flooding – be in charge of the clouds!

There will also be services offering support and advice like the NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board and Integrated Care System which will be sharing information around choosing the right services for medical treatments, digital information around the NHS app and prescriptions, mental health Information and also information around data for local residents.

Learn about volunteering opportunities with the Newark and Sherwood and Rushcliffe CVS and find out about the best places to visit, eat and drink, or stay across the county with Visit Nottinghamshire.

Performances on the Community Zone stage will start at 9.45 with singing, dancing and digital music from Portland College. There are also choirs, the Odwyer Academy Irish Dancing, The Boys Brigade and Girls Association, and a grand finale performance from the Inspire Musicians Collective.

Nottinghamshire County Show:
Saturday 11 May, Newark Showground, NG24 2NY
Tickets: Adult tickets £18, Under 17s free
Nottinghamshire County Show 2024