We have found no fewer than 20 ideas for things to do and places to go over the next few days in the Mansfield, Ashfield, Worksop, Retford and wider Nottinghamshire area, so tuck into our guide below.
Theatre entertainment takes centre stage, with a host of shows set to wow packed audiences. At Mansfield’s Palace, the focus is on Take That, the Rat Pack era of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis jnr and Dean Martin, the dance and acrobatics of ‘Tap Factory’ and the music of iconic movies from the 80s. Not to mention Michael Buble, Roibbie Williams and Harry Connick jnr.
Local talent gets in on the act too with a junior showtime event, while art-lovers will enjoy a take on Gustav Klimt’s famous painting, ‘The Kiss’.
Meanwhile, Worksop’s Acorn Theatre relives the classic sounds of Motown from the 60s and 70s, and Retford’s Majestic Theatre welcomes Barry Steele with his tribute to the likes of Roy Orbison and Chris Isaak. Elsewhere, The Verney Institute in Pleasley is a venue also worth visiting this weekend when it welcomes a unique, new musical trio, Cri Du Canard.
If you’re interested in birds or the stars, the Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre is the place to go, while The Harley Gallery at Welbeck, Kirkby Library and Brierley Forest Park at Huthwaite are also under the spotlight. For fun with the kids, head off to Sherwood Pines, where 25 years of ‘The Gruffalo’ is celebrated, to Rufford Abbey Country Park or the East Midlands Designer Outlet at South Normanton,
Before you set off for your chosen destination, please check its website to confirm opening times and admission prices. Have a great weekend!
9. Call of the duck at Pleasley
Le Coin-Coin (quack-quack) is perhaps the most well-known cri du canard (call of the duck). But coming in a close second is a newly-formed trio of musicians who go by the name of Cri Du Canard and who are staging a show at The Verney Institute in Pleasley on Saturday (7.30 pm). Grace Smith, Sam Partridge and Dave Gray intertwine fiddle, flute and melodeon in a repertoire of traditional French folk music. Photo: Submitted
10. Songs from the Rat Pack era
Mansfield's Palace Theatre is set to take you back to the heady days of the Rat Pack era in the late 50s and early 60s with songs made famous by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Sammy David jnr and Dean Martin. 'Sounds Of The Rat Pack Era' is a show that also swings you up to date with numbers from Michael Buble, Robbie Williams and Harry Connick jnr as vocalists take the audience on a journey backed by the Moonlight Serenade Orchestra UK. It all happens on Saturday night from 7.30. Photo: Submitted
11. Go stargazing with the wonders of the night sky
Go stargazing at the Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre in Edwinstowe this Saturday (7 pm to 9.30 pm) and enjoy an out-of-this-world evening all about the wonders of the night sky with experts from the Mansfield and Sutton Astronomical Society (MSAS). Even if the weather doesn't play ball, the MSAS team have fascinating talks, demonstrations and exhibits to get you starry-eyed about the cosmos. All under-18s must be accompanied by an adult. Photo: Submitted
12. Explore fantasy and fairytales at free exhibition
A legendary quest through the impossible worlds of fantasy. That's how a free exhibition at Kirkby Library is being promoted. 'Fantasy Realms' celebrates some of the finest fantasy creators and reveals how their imagined lands, languages and creatures came into being. Journey from fairytales to folklore and discover how the oldest forms of literature inspire the authors, film-makers and game producers of today. These are the final few days of the exhibition, which finishes on Saturday. Photo: Submitted