Big events in the Mansfield and Ashfield area have been ravaged by downpours over the last month. But the forecast does suggest the next few days might be a bit brighter and warmer.
We have compiled our usual guide to events and activities in and around the two districts, as well as further afield across Nottinghamshire, and there is a wide variety of things to do and places to go to choose from.
Festival fever is still with us, thanks to the third weekend of the Robin Hood Festival at Sherwood Forest Country Park and also the Gloworm Festival at Thoresby Park.
A summer of live music and outdoor theatre continues at Clumber Park, while summer fun for the kids continues at Mansfield Museum and at Mansfield’s three swimming pools.
Workshops focusing on trees and ceramics are hosted by Sherwood Pines and Sherwood Forest respectively, while there are chances for families to try Stone Age jewellery-making at Creswell Crags and pottery at the Harley Gallery in Welbeck.
And those of you yearning for the good old bucket and spade holiday, why not hop on a Robin Hood Line train and plant your deckchair on Nottingham’s Old Market Square, which has been transformed into a beach by the sea?
Wherever you choose to go, please check the venue’s website beforehand for opening times and admission prices. Have a great weekend!
1. Third weekend of Robin Hood Festival
Stand by for the third weekend of the 37th annual Robin Hood Festival based at Sherwood Forest Country Park. We've already enjoyed three days of ourdoor movies, fun and games with the Sherwood Outlaws and a spectacular medieval jousting show. Now it's time for the RSPB and other conservation organisations to take centre stage with activities, talks and demonstrations celebrating the flora and fauna of the forest, which is Nottinghamshire's only National Nature Reserve. Photo: Submitted
2. Summer of live music at Clumber Park
The Nottingham-based singer and acoustic guitarist Ben Haynes (pictured) is the main attraction as a summer of live music at Clumber Park, near Worksop, continues on Sunday. Haynes hits the stage on the Parsonage Lawn from 12.30 pm to 3.30 pm as part of a free programme that runs until the end of August. Feel free to take your camping chairs and picnics to fully enjoy the experience. A cafe and ice cream parlour are nearby. Photo: Submitted
3. Take on the Aqua Challenge at leisure centre pool
Dare you take on the Aqua Challenge, an inflatable obstacle course for kids and adults alike, in the pool at the Rebecca Adlington Leisure Centre in Mansfield? Jump, bounce, slip and slide in an activity that's perfect for families at weekends and during the school holidays. Everyone who takes part is given a life jacket, making the assault course safe and fun. Photo: Submitted
4. Return of the Gloworm Festival for families
This weekend sees the return of the Gloworm Festival, a two-day event at Thoresby Park, aimed at families with children aged up to 13. The idea behind the festival is to create a warm, welcoming and creative environment, allowing everyone to lose their inhibitions, let their hair down and have some fun. The event will feature music, art and all kinds of other entertainment. Photo: Submitted