A Summer of Free Events - Explore, Experience and Discover with Great Northumberland

I have declared this Summer the Summer that we truly explore, experience and discover Northumberland. Having spent our recent weekends enjoying the Northumberland coastline and discovering the picture perfect little towns and villages in the countryside I am keen to learn more about the beautiful county that has captured my heart since I relocated to the North East five years ago. So I'm delighted to be able to tell you that this is a Summer of free events in Northumberland thanks to Great Northumberland.

Great Northumberland is 56 days of arts, culture and heritage events happening across the county celebrating all of the wonderful things that make this part of the world so special. Celebrating our rich history, diverse culture and colourful arts there are events to suit every taste and every age.

The eight week Great Northumberland extravaganza opens on Saturday 7 July with a special showcase in Hexham, presenting a family friendly programme of music and street theatre as well as the chance to have a sneaky look at the full events list so you can get your diary filled with fantastic day trips and activities to keep you entrertained for the whole Summer.

All of the county's best loved attractions will be involved including Cragside, Cherryburn, Vindolanda, Alnwick Gardens and Lindisfarne Castle. We are embracing the chance to rediscover some of our favourite spots in Northumberland as well as visiting some places in the region for the very first time.

There are over 40 free activities taking place during Great Northumberland, far too many for me to tell you about so here are just a few of my highlights and the events that we hope to be checking out.

Carnival Capers at Seaton Delaval Hall : This year Seaton Delavan Hall celebrates 300 years of dramatic history and, in honour of the Delaval Family, who were notorious for throwing the best parties in town, Carnival Capers promises a big party atmosphere at The Hall complete with music, performances and parades throughout the grounds.

For more details about this event click here

Alnwick Alive : Enjoy watching Alnwick Market Place come to life with an open air day of free entertainment including music, dance and performance set alongside a colourful market selling local food and crafts as well as traditional Northumbrian street food.

For more details about this event click here

Kielder Art and Architecture : Explore beautiful Kielder with a tour of the Park's award winning collection of art and architecture which includes more than 20 works including work by the Newcastle University School of Architecture. On certain dates you can join an experienced art curator on a minibus tour to explore the  most well-known artworks.

For more details about this event click here

Cheeseburn Sculpture Gardens and Gallery : Discover contemporary sculpture and artists projects in the beautiful grounds of Cheeseburn Grange Hall.  Showcasing new work by emerging North East artists and exploring how new technology is interacting with traditional sculpture techniques there will also be two curated gallery exhibitions.

For more details about this event click here

Mark Fairnington, Cherryburn : If you've never been to Cherryburn before then let this be your excuse to visit! The beautiful farmhouse was home to artist, printmaker and naturalist Thomas Bewick and this Summer artist Mark Fairnington will showcase a collection of paintings inspired by Cherryburn, the surrounding landscape and Bewick's life and work.

For more details about this event click here

Make sure you keep an eye on New Girl in Toon this Summer as we head out and about in Northumberland to discover some of the events happening as part of Great Northumberland and if you fancy doing some yourself you can find the full list of events on the Great Northumberland website here.

This post has been written in collaboration with Great Northumberland