Thousands expected at Whitby Fish and Ships Festival celebrating maritime heritage
The family-friendly event celebrates Whitby’s fishing heritage with seafood, live music, craft demonstrations and maritime-themed activities.
Thousands of families are expected to head to the North Yorkshire coast for a festival celebrating Whitby’s fishing and maritime heritage.
The Whitby Fish and Ships Festival is one of the town’s best-known events and celebrates the vital role local people and businesses play in promoting the region’s seafood.
The two-day event, organised by North Yorkshire Council, will take place at the Marina Front Car Park on Saturday 16 May and Sunday 17 May.
Families will be able to enjoy a wide range of entertainment, including cooking and fish craft demonstrations by local chefs.
There will also be giant fish displays showcasing species caught off the North Yorkshire coast, as well as sessions on pot sewing and net mending.
Live music from local bands and sea balladeers will feature across the weekend, alongside maritime-themed arts and crafts for people of all ages.
The festival is being supported by local businesses, community groups and performers, who will showcase Whitby’s fishing heritage and some of the best local produce the region has to offer.
Darren Archibald, known as Archie, is the creator of Whitby Sea Salt and co-founder of Made in Whitby, a company that brings together creative business owners to promote local products and celebrate the town.
He has played a leading role in bringing local performers, businesses and entrepreneurs together to support the event.
He said: “Whitby Fish and Ships is a brilliant event that brings together enthusiastic and passionate local businesses and people to celebrate the town’s great fishing heritage and history.
“It’s important that events like this go ahead, as they help to build collaboration and resilience across the tourism sector and the businesses that supply and support the local economy.
“By working together, we can continue to support and promote Whitby as a jewel on the coast, reminding new and returning visitors of its fascinating maritime heritage and ensuring it remains a great place to live, work and visit.
“We attended last year’s event and it was a fabulous success, with a positive effect both on locals and visitors during the weekend and beyond.
“As Made in Whitby, we draw our inspiration and passion from this great harbour, coastline and heritage. It’s a pleasure for us to be involved in an event that adds to the fantastic atmosphere Whitby has all-year-round.”
After proving popular last year, the Fisherman’s Olympics will return for a second time.
Members of local fishing crews will compete in challenges including tug-of-war, rope splicing and pot stacking.
There will also be artisan goods and local produce on sale, while a giant crab puppet made in collaboration with local schools will be unveiled and paraded around the festival.
Elsewhere, Whitby Lobster Hatchery will release baby lobsters at East Pier on both days of the event.
Visitors can also stop by the lifeboat station to learn more about the work of the Whitby Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for culture and arts, Cllr Simon Myers, said: “This was a fantastically well-attended event last year and I’m confident it will be just as popular again next weekend.
“It’s important to celebrate Whitby’s maritime heritage and the significant role fishing has played, and continues to play, in shaping the much-loved town that it is today.
“Whitby Fish and Ships offers visitors a great opportunity to meet the hugely talented professionals working in the maritime industry and learn more about the contribution they make across North Yorkshire.”
Tourism in Whitby generates around £350 million each year and contributes to North Yorkshire’s visitor economy, which is worth more than £4 billion annually.
More information about this year’s Fish and Ships Festival is available at visitnorthyorkshire.com/events/whitby-fish-ships-festival