The King’s Coronation Weekend: Events & Volunteering across Essex
Don’t Miss These Amazing Events and Volunteering Opportunities in Essex from 5th – 8th May 2023
Are you ready for a royal weekend? The King’s coronation on the 6th May 2023 is a historic occasion that deserves to be celebrated in style. And what better way to do that than by exploring the amazing events happening around the county of Essex!
Whether you’re looking for fun, culture, or community, there’s something for everyone in this round-up of local events. Plus, don’t miss the opportunity to give back to your area by volunteering on Monday 8th May, which is being called The Big Help Out. The Big Help Out is a nationwide initiative to encourage people to volunteer their time and skills to help their local communities. Whether it’s picking up litter, planting trees, visiting the elderly, or anything else you can think of, there’s a way for you to make a difference.
But before we get to that, let’s talk about the weekend, the list below is packed full of free events in Essex.
Here are some of the highlights you won’t want to miss:
St Saviour’s Church, King’s Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, SS0 8LL
5th May, 7:30pm – 8:30pm
This is a short (one hour) concert of music performed by Southend Wind Orchestra and The Orpheus Singers. Music will include Meyerbeer’s Coronation March, Parry’s I Was Glad, Handel’s Zadok the Priest and Reger’s Variations and Fugue on the National Anthem. Open to public, no booking required.
Upper Castle Park, High Street, Colchester, Essex, CO1 1UG
6th May 10am – 4pm
Come together to celebrate King Charles III’s Coronation. Organised by Colchester City Council and Colchester Market.
Bring a picnic and your friends, family, and neighbours to enjoy some great food. There will be street food stalls from Colchester Market around the Castle Bailey and climb aboard the Wilkin & Sons Vintage 1967 Routemaster double decker bus for scrumptious cream teas and cocktails. The Colchester Pipes and Drums Band will be playing on our historic bandstand.
At around 11:30am the Garrison Command will deliver a 21-gun salute to mark the Coronation of King Charles III in the Lower Castle Park.
The council is proud to host this monumental occasion, which will bring the community together to celebrate in true British fashion. The day will kick off with the screening of the Coronation, setting the perfect celebratory atmosphere for the day ahead.
We have an exceptional line-up of entertainment planned for the event, including live music, dance performances, and exciting activities for all the family.
Then on the Sunday, join us as we bring you elements of our popular Steam and Cider Fair and Roundhouse Music Festival – there will be classic cars, tribute acts, free family entertainment and of course, cider. A range of food and drink stalls will also be available on both days, offering delicious treats and refreshments for all attendees.
Entry is free for everyone and no tickets are required.
Join us for our Family Day to celebrate the King’s Coronation at the Mercury Theatre on our Piazza and around the building.
Expect live music, a family friendly atmosphere and a whole heap of fun!
The event will feature live music from local band JamJar, who will be playing a range of popular songs that are sure to get everyone dancing. In addition to the music, there will be a variety of activities to keep children and adults entertained, including a bouncy castle, soft play area, giant garden games, arts and crafts and a dressing up area.
Food and drink will be available to purchase from the Mercury’s Café Bar, including cream teas.
This event is accessible for everyone, suitable for all ages and free to attend with no booking required – just turn up.
Music for Youth is delighted to stage a national event for young musicians to mark the Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort. Funded by Arts Council England made possible thanks to National Lottery players, the Coronation Bandstand Project will seethousands of young musicians perform on bandstands in public parks across all 9 regions in England from 6 – 8 May 2023, enabling music and young people to play an important part in marking this historic occasion. Participation in music events like this supports young people in their development, well-being and improves social skills.
East Tilbury Village Hall, Princess Margaret Road, East Tilbury, RM18 8SB
7th May 12pm – 6pm
East Tilbury Village Hall committee will be holding a craft fair from 12 – 6pm on Sunday 7th May with over 30 craft stalls at the village hall. There will also be a tea shop, ice cream van and bouncy castles.
Riverside Community Big Local – Grays Town Park, Grays, Essex, RM17 6DN
8th May 10:30am – 4pm
Join in the free party in the park to celebrate the Kings Coronation
Free face painting, childrens activities, brass band selfie competition, sports demonstrations, fun games and great music. Bring a blanket and a picnic and join us for a day of fun
Starting with laying a wreath for VE day at the memorial
We are a collective of traders on Crown Street in Brentwood, Essex. We host regular community events. The Coronation Crown Street party includes: live music, refreshments, and crafts for the children.
We are a collective of traders on Crown Street in Brentwood, Essex. We host regular community events.
The Coronation Crown Street party includes: live music, refreshments, and crafts for the children.
King George’s Playing Fields, Ingrave Road, Brentwood, Essex, CM13 2FD
8th May 12 – 5pm
Brentwood Borough Council in collaboration with the Imperial Youth Band, Brentwood School Big Band, St Thomas’ Church Mass Choir and Deputy Lord Lieutenant Graham Clegg are pleased to be hosting this event to celebrate the King’s Coronation.
The event will be a free afternoon full of entertainment in the park to celebrate the King’s Coronation with food, drink and family activities.
We are a group of residents from Witham, Essex, who take part in monthly litter picks across the town. We are passionate about keeping our local environment tidy and litter-free, and many of us also litter pick in our spare time in between scheduled picks. The group, which was founded in January 2016, is entirely voluntary, with many of us involved in Braintree District Council’s Green Heart scheme.
Broadway Chambers, 196 Hutton Rd, Shenfield, Brentwood CM15 8NR, UK
Do you have a passion for fashion? Would you like to volunteer your time to help improve outcomes for children, young people and families? Then why not take part in our retail volunteer taster event on 8th May? Our amazing team of vibrant & diverse volunteers help us run over 600 shops. Our stores sell lots of great donated & new goods to help raise vital funds to make a real difference to disadvantaged children, young people and families across the UK. You can support your local store by sorting through donations, preparing items to be sold, or even making the shop look fantastic!
Unit 8 Housham Hall Farm, Harlow Road Matching Tye, Harlow, CM17 0OB
8th May 1pm – 6pm
Harlow Foodbank is one of many community groups opening our doors to show you how our charity supports Harlow and the surrounding area.
In the past year we have given out over 4,000 food parcels from the Foodbank.
What are we asking of you?
– Bring a little food to donate – whatever you can afford – to add to the mix (if you can) – Do half an hour sorting and packing food – Stay and chat with us – have a barbecue – do a barn dance to our happy country music! – We’ll also have things for kids to do. It’s a bit of a party too, after all the weekend is a celebration. – Find out more about our other projects – consider volunteering with MRCT (though you don’t have to)… – You can also take a walk across the footpath in the fields next to the Store House.
Belhus Woods Country Park Visitor Centre, Aveley, South Ockendon
May 8th 11am – 12:30pm
A perfect opportunity for anyone who is interested in volunteering or would like to find out more about the work that goes on behind the scenes at Belhus Woods! Explore the country park with one of our rangers and find out about the kind of tasks our volunteers get involved in. We’ll see a variety of habitats and discuss the fantastic outcomes that have been possible thanks to the help of our volunteers, plus look at some of the upcoming projects that our volunteers will be getting involved in.
As people get older, some may find they spend more time on their own. This can sometimes feel lonely, boring or make people miss friends or family. Age UK offers free telephone friendship services for older people so they can enjoy chatting with someone over the phone, all from the comfort of your their home. Volunteers play a vital role in this service and this year, we’re in great need of additional volunteers. Volunteers deliver this role from the comfort of their homes and receive training and on-going support- but there’s lots more to discover about this important role! Find out more about the need for The Telephone Friendship Service, how it operates and they way volunteers help deliver this important service to combat loneliness in our Big Help Out Behind-the-Scenes virtual session. After this session, you’ll have the chance to consider applying to volunteer with us!
As you can see..
…there is no shortage of fun and meaningful ways to celebrate the king’s coronation in Essex this weekend. Whether you want to enjoy some live music, watch the parade, or join a community project, there is something for everyone in our beautiful county. And don’t forget to sign up for The Big Help Out on Monday, where you can make a difference by volunteering for a local cause. It’s a great opportunity to show your gratitude to the king and your love for Essex.
Have a wonderful weekend and happy coronation day!
