The summer holidays have arrived and August is packed with exciting things to do for children and families across North Nottinghamshire!

There are plenty of events and activities indoors and out so, even if we don’t get wall to wall sunshine, there’ll always be something to do to keep your little ones entertained.

Do you view the word Festival in horror, picturing mud, crowds and portaloos?  Or do your thoughts turn to more pleasant things like good times spent with friends and family, hot and sunny weather, incredible live music, amazing new foods and exciting new experiences?

Hopefully your summer this year will be all about fun, laughter, enjoyment and good times and, to help you have the best summer yet, we’ve compiled a list of the many festivals being held this summer across North Nottinghamshire.

North Notts BID results are in - and it's a YES!

The North Notts Business Improvement District (BID) team have just learnt that the North Notts BID has been voted to go ahead by Bassetlaw businesses.   This will mean a huge investment to improve Bassetlaw over the next 5 years of over £3 million pounds.

The new ‘Mayflower Pilgrims Visitor Centre’ opens its doors to the public for the very first time during the Retford Arts Festival on Saturday 27th May 2017.

Located at The Hub (North Notts Artisan & Tourist Information Centre) in Churchgate, Retford, the centre will feature the stories of the Mayflower Pilgrims and the Separatists – many of whom came from Retford and the Bassetlaw area in North Nottinghamshire - and who changed the world.

There's great excitement in North Notts since it was announced that The Tour of Britain cycle race will be running a whole stage in Nottinghamshire on Weds 6th September!

And the news gets even better!  Not just through Nottinghamshire but 120 of the world’s top cyclists will be racing 175 km mainly in North Notts!

Easter Egg Hunts certainly are popular in North Notts this Easter and you’re really spoilt for choice. In fact there so many that you could easily end up with a chocolate overload!

If you’re looking for a lovely family day out most of the hunts are combined with other family and children’s activities.

Find an eggciting Easter Egg Hunt near you in our guide to the best ones in North Notts!

Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) aren’t new – towns, cities and industrial areas across the UK have been successfully running BIDs since 2005, and voting to renew them every 5 years – a very positive endorsement of the value of BIDs. There are currently over 250 BIDs in the UK with our close neighbours Lincoln, Mansfield and Nottingham already BID towns.

But there is something new about North Notts’ exciting and ambitious plans for Bassetlaw – we’re aiming to become the very first area-wide Business Improvement District (BID) in the UK!

We all want to make our businesses the best they can be but do you sometimes find it challenging to keep your business up-to-date with the latest in digital marketing and technology and to take advantage of all the benefits they offer?

Fortunately practical help in the way of high quality training and support is at hand for businesses in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire and, incredibly, it is free!

Photographer Simon Gaddes has been instructing and tutoring photography for over twenty years and you will be able to take advantage of his experience at special photography classes in Retford this January and February.

Retford Arts Festival is delighted to welcome back local artist Polly Warren, a member of local art-group Artempo and Lincoln & Retford Art Societies, to the second Retford Arts Festival which is being held in venues across the town over the Bank Holiday weekend of 27-29 May 2017.

Last year the first Festival brought together artists of all genres, historians, actors & poets and delivered a memorable 3-day celebration of art, creativity, theatre, music, poetry and more and, once again in 2017 Polly, along with many other artists, will be featuring their work and demonstrating live at venues across the town.

If you're an artist (of any kind) and would like to include your work in Retford's own Arts Festival you've still got time to sign up!

This year Bonfire Night happily falls on a Saturday which makes it the perfect evening for going out and enjoying ourselves at one of the many Bonfire and Firework events in North Nottinghamshire.  That said, look out for a few events on Thursday, Friday & Sunday too.

As well as huge bonfires, spectacular firework displays and great food, many events also provide live music and great entertainment for all the family.

Check out our 2016 guide to the best Bonfire Night events and Firework Displays in Worksop, Retford, Newark, Southwell, Mansfield and across the North Notts region.

Would you like to be a part of the new North Notts BID Steering Group, to lead, champion and support the development of the UK's first, place shaping district-wide Business Improvement District (BID)?

Local businesses in North Nottinghamshire have a unique opportunity to take part in a survey, put forward their ideas and to identify projects that can improve the Bassetlaw region over the next 5 years.

Despite the rain this afternoon I’ve had a brilliant drive through Bawtry and Austerfield enjoying their ‘yellowness’ in honour of Le Tour de Yorkshire which passes through our region this coming Saturday 30th April.

There’s yellow bunting galore and a wonderful array of yellow bicycles fixed to fences, propped up against walls and even on top of buildings, together with a few blue bicycles, all lining the route that Le Tour will be taking.

Look out for a brand new, inclusive, children's community choir starting in Retford this April.

The North Notts Makaton Choir is open to all children from ages 5 to 16, with the aim of enhancing community cohesion.